The Election Commission has ordered a major reshuffle in West Bengal’s police leadership ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, appointing new officers to key law-enforcement posts including the state’s Director General of Police (DGP) and Kolkata Police Commissioner.
According to an official communication, the poll body replaced incumbent DGP Peeyush Pandey with Siddh Nath Gupta, who will serve as the Director General and Inspector General of Police (in-charge). The commission also appointed Ajay Kumar Nand as the new Commissioner of Kolkata Police, replacing Supratim Sarkar.
The changes come just a day after the Election Commission announced the schedule for the West Bengal Assembly elections and reviewed the state’s preparedness for conducting the polls. The reshuffle is part of the commission’s effort to ensure neutrality in the administrative and law-enforcement machinery during the electoral process.
Along with the top-level changes, the poll panel directed the state government to appoint Natarajan Ramesh Babu as Director General of Correctional Services and Ajay Mukund Ranade as Additional Director General and IGP (Law and Order).
The Election Commission instructed the West Bengal government to implement the orders immediately and submit a compliance report by 3 pm on Monday. It also said that the officers who have been transferred should not be assigned any election-related duties until the completion of the polling process.
The reshuffle comes amid heightened focus on maintaining law and order during the election period, as the commission seeks to ensure a free and fair polling process in the state.
