The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered the immediate transfer of West Bengal’s Chief Secretary and Home Secretary shortly after announcing the schedule for the 2026 Assembly elections.
Following the declaration of polling dates by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Sunday, the Commission directed that Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty and Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena be removed from their posts with immediate effect. The poll body has instructed the state government to appoint 1993-batch IAS officer Dushyant Nariala as the new Chief Secretary. It also ordered the appointment of 1997-batch IAS officer Sanghamitra Ghosh as Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs.
The Commission said the decision was taken after reviewing the state’s administrative preparedness for the upcoming elections. “The transfers must be implemented immediately,” the Election Commission said in its communication. It has directed the state government to confirm that the officers have assumed charge by 3 pm on Monday, 16 March.
The directive issued further states that the officials who have been removed from their posts cannot be assigned any election-related duties until the entire poll process is completed.
Dushyant Nariala, a 1993-batch IAS officer, has previously served as Additional Chief Secretary of the North Bengal Development Department. He has also handled the Disaster Management and Civil Defence departments. Sanghamitra Ghosh, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, has earlier served as Principal Secretary of the Women and Child Development Department.
Earlier on Sunday, the Election Commission announced that the Model Code of Conduct had come into force immediately after the poll schedule was declared.
In addition, the Commission has also written to the state police, asking for details of officers who were posted in police stations where violence or unrest was reported before, during or after the previous Lok Sabha elections. The information has been sought by 4 pm on Monday.
The West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases. The first phase of polling will take place on 23 April across 152 constituencies, while the second phase will be held on 29 April in the remaining 142 seats. The counting of votes will be conducted on 4 May.
