West Bengal elections: Chief secretary, home secretary removed, Ajay Kumar Nand appointed Kolkata top cop; TMC fumes

KOLKATA: In a major administrative reshuffle ahead of the West Bengal assembly elections, the Election Commission (EC) has removed two of the state’s top bureaucrats — chief secretary Nandini Chakravorty and home secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena — citing a review of poll preparedness.The poll panel appointed Dushyant Nariala, a 1993-batch IAS officer, as the new chief secretary of the state. It also directed that Sanghamitra Ghosh, a 1997-batch IAS officer, be posted as principal secretary, Home and Hill Affairs.In a separate order, the EC appointed Ajay Kumar Nand as Kolkata police commissioner, replacing Supratim Sarkar, officials said. According to a letter sent to the state government by election commission secretary Sujeet Kumar Mishra, the changes were made after the commission reviewed the state’s preparedness for the upcoming assembly elections. “The directions of the Commission are to be implemented with immediate effect, and a compliance report regarding the joining of the officers must be submitted by 3pm on March 16,” the communication stated.TMC MP Kirti Azad criticised the Election Commission's decision on the reshuffle, calling it a move to "appease their masters"."The Election Commission of India has taken this step to appease their masters...They cannot remove West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee from the hearts of the public of the state," he said.The administrative overhaul comes shortly after the EC announced the election schedule for West Bengal Assembly polls, which will be held in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with counting of votes on May 4.West Bengal is among four states — along with Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Assam — and the Union Territory of Puducherry going to the polls in the current election cycle.(With agency inputs)