West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the Election Commission for transferring top state bureaucrats and police officers shortly after announcing the assembly polls. Banerjee, the Trinamool chief, branded the EC and the ruling BJP as “anti-women and anti-Bengal”.
Speaking at a rally at Dorina crossing in central Kolkata following a march to protest the LPG crisis in the state, Banerjee said the saffron camp may change as many officers as they want, but they will not be able to change the government.
“It doesn’t matter who you appoint as replacement officers; they will all work for Bengal,” Banerjee said, apparently hitting out at the EC but without directly naming it.
Mamata’s remarks come after the poll panel on Sunday night ordered the removal of the state’s top bureaucrats – Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty and Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena.
The EC removed the current Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakraborty, from her post and appointed Dushyant Nariala, an IAS officer of the 1993 batch, in her place
“They chose the hour of midnight to remove Nandini Chakravorty, the chief secretary and a Bengali woman, without consulting the state government. It goes to show how anti-women they are,” Banerjee said.
In another order issued on Monday, the commission also replaced DGP Peeyush Pandey and Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar.
The CM also referred to the removal of state home secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena to criticise the poll body.
“Our home secretary is a non-Bengali person. His removal reflects the deep disdain they have for efficient officers of Bengal,” the TMC supremo said.
“Don’t treat Bengal as your zamindari (fiefdom). You can threaten and change the district magistrate, SP, and inspectors in-charge, but you can’t change people. Remember, you did not give them jobs, they secured it by their merit. You don’t have the right to insult them,” she said.
‘Deep concern’ over ‘unilateral’ transfer
Later, Banerjee wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, expressing “deep concern and surprise” over the poll panel’s transfer orders.
In her letter, the chief minister said she was “constrained to write” regarding the Election Commission‘s directives issued on March 15 and 16 ordering the transfer and “unilateral placement” of several senior officers of the state administration, including the chief secretary, home secretary and the director general of police.
“I am constrained to write with regard to the recent orders issued by the Election Commission of India dated March 15 and 16, 2026, directing the transfer and unilateral placement of several senior officers of the state administration. These directions include the replacement of the chief secretary, the secretary (Home and Hill Affairs), the director general & inspector general of police and other senior officers of the state machinery,” Banerjee said in the letter.
Mamata said such “sweeping transfers” have been affected without any cogent reasons and “without any allegation of violation, misconduct or lapse in relation to the conduct of elections.”
The chief minister also said the commission’s powers over officers engaged in election duties have historically been exercised in consultation with the state government.
“It is well recognised that, by virtue of Article 324 of the Constitution of India, read with Section 13CC of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and Section 28A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, officers engaged in election-related duties are deemed to be on deputation to the Election Commission during the election period,” she wrote.
Banerjee further said that during previous elections, the commission had followed the convention of consulting the state government before effecting such transfers.
The chief minister said it was a “matter of deep concern and surprise” that the heads of the state’s administrative machinery had been removed “within hours of the press release announcing the General Election to the West Bengal Legislative Assembly, 2026“.
Banerjee requested the poll panel to avoid such steps in future.
“In view of the above, I would request the Commission to kindly refrain from adopting such unilateral measures in the future, as they risk diluting the long-standing legacy, credibility and institutional integrity of the Election Commission of India and also impinges upon the foundational principles of our constitutional framework,” the TMC supremo said.
You can threaten and change the district magistrate, SP, and inspectors in-charge, but you can’t change people.
The elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases – on April 23 and 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.
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