West Bengal elections: EC transfers 19 senior police officers in fresh reshuffle ahead of polls

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday ordered the transfer of 19 senior police officers in West Bengal, marking the third consecutive day of such reshuffles in the poll-bound state.The poll body replaced the ADG/IGPs of the south and north Bengal regions, the police commissioners of Howrah, Barrackpore, Chandannagar, and Asansol-Durgapur, as well as 12 superintendents of police (SPs) and a deputy commissioner (DC) across 13 districts. The first round of transfers was carried out in the state’s top bureaucracy just hours after the ECI announced the assembly election schedule on Sunday for four states, including West Bengal, and the Union territory of Puducherry.The second round of transfers took place on Monday afternoon within the senior ranks of the West Bengal Police. The ECI is empowered to transfer officers directly involved in elections under Article 324 of the Constitution. Under it, the poll body has the power of "superintendence, direction, and control" over the entire poll machinery in a state or Union territory during elections.However, the transfers drew sharp criticism in Parliament from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which governs West Bengal. TMC MP Derek O’Brien announced a day-long walkout by party MPs from the Rajya Sabha to protest what he called “transfers made by the ECI in the middle of the night.” Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, however, emphasised that the poll panel was exercising its constitutional mandate and accused the TMC of "routinely attacking constitutional bodies."All 294 assembly constituencies in West Bengal will be held in two phases - April 23 and 29 - with voting for 152 and 142 seats, respectively. The counting will be held on May 4.