In a partial modification of its earlier directive, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has put on hold the transfer of two senior police officials from West Bengal—Bidhannagar Police Commissioner Muralidhar Sharma and Siliguri Police Commissioner Syed Waqar Raza—who were earlier slated to be sent to Tamil Nadu as election observers.
According to updated instructions issued late on Wednesday, the Commission has stayed its earlier order concerning the two commissioners “for the time being,” even as it retained the transfer directive for the remaining 13 IPS officers. These officers will continue to be deployed as election observers in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, as previously decided.
The reshuffle is part of a broader, ongoing exercise by the ECI that began around midnight on Sunday, involving the removal and reassignment of several administrative and police officials in West Bengal ahead of the Assembly elections. Replacement appointments have also been made simultaneously to fill the vacated posts.
The Commission has made it clear that officials who have been removed from their posts will not be assigned any election-related responsibilities within the state for the time being.
Initially, a total of 15 IPS officers from West Bengal were identified for deployment as observers in southern states. While the directive remains in force for 13 of them, the temporary relief granted to the Bidhannagar and Siliguri commissioners marks a notable exception in the otherwise sweeping administrative action.
The large-scale reshuffle has also triggered political reactions, with the state government raising concerns over the manner in which the transfers were carried out. Questions have been raised about the absence of prior consultation with the state administration and deviation from established procedures typically followed during elections.
The developments come amid heightened election preparedness in West Bengal, with the ECI taking multiple steps to reinforce administrative neutrality and ensure the smooth conduct of the upcoming Assembly polls.
