Bengal and Kolkata police chiefs and home secretaries are replaced by the Election Commission.

In the second administrative reorganization since the model code of conduct went into effect following the announcement of the Bengal Assembly poll schedule on Sunday, the Election Commission of India on Monday moved Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar and Bengal’s Director General of Police Peeyush Pandey. 

Siddh Nath Gupta, an IPS officer from the 1992 batch, took Pandey’s place, while Ajay Nand, an officer from the 1996 batch, was named the new commissioner of the Kolkata Police.N. Ramesh Babu has taken Gupta’s post as the DG (Correctional Homes). 

Ajay Ranade has been designated by the Election Commission as the ADG (Law and Order). Bengal’s home secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena and chief secretary Nandini Chakravorty were dismissed by the Election Commission on Sunday night. Sanghamitra Ghosh was named home secretary, and Dushyant Nariala was named chief secretary.  According to the poll panel’s directive, its instructions must be followed right away, and a compliance report must be turned in to the central poll panel by Monday at 3 p.m.

“The officers transferred out shall not be posted in any election related posts till the completion of elections,” the directive addressed to the state chief secretary stated.

In Parliament, the Trinamool members walked out protesting against the transfers of the top state administrative officials.

“In the dead of night, the chief secretary, home secretary of Bengal were removed by the Election Commission. EC have all the power to do it. They can (misuse their power). I am wearing a white shirt; but they have the power to say it is not white, it’s a blue shirt. In protest against what the chief election commissioner is doing, we, all India Trinamool Congress are walking out for the day,” said Derek O’Brien, Trinamool leader in the Rajya Sabha.