ECI administrative reshuffle West Bengal
Kolkata, April 29, 2026 – In a swift administrative intervention just hours before the start of the second phase of the West Bengal Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued orders removing the Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) of South 24 Parganas and Birbhum from all election-related responsibilities. The two officials, identified as Bhaskar Pal (South 24 Parganas) and Souvik Bhattacharya (Birbhum), have been directed to report to their respective headquarters, effectively barring them from any role in the ongoing electoral process.
The ECI’s directive, issued late Tuesday, also included the immediate transfer of the Joint Block Development Officer (BDO) of Falta, Sourav Hazra. Hazra has been moved to Purulia and replaced by Ramya Bhattacharya. While the ECI did not cite specific reasons for these removals in its official communications, the moves are being viewed as part of a broader effort to sanitize the administrative machinery in districts identified as “critical” or “vulnerable”.
Political circles link the transfer of the Falta official to intense friction in the constituency, which followed a recent visit by special police observer Ajay Pal Sharma. The presence of Sharma, and the subsequent protests by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers, had created a volatile atmosphere, leading to allegations of partisan conduct by local officials. The removal of the two ADMs, meanwhile, is part of a larger ECI drive to ensure that state-level administrative officials maintain absolute neutrality during the sensitive voting window.
The ECI has flagged approximately 12,000 polling booths—nearly 30% of the state’s total—as critical ahead of today’s second phase of voting. The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, indicated that these preemptive administrative actions are designed to mitigate potential interference and bolster public trust in the independence of the electoral exercise.
Since the announcement of the election schedule, the ECI has conducted a comprehensive series of bureaucratic and police reshuffles across West Bengal. These have included the replacement of the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary, and various top-ranking police commissioners. By continuing these interventions as the state enters the final phase of polling, the ECI aims to signal its unwavering commitment to preventing the influence of local political agendas on the administration of the election.
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