EC Orders Major Police Reshuffle in West Bengal After Poll Announcement

In a dramatic move following the announcement of the West Bengal Assembly election schedule, the Election Commission of India ordered a sweeping reshuffle in the state’s police leadership, replacing several top officials within hours on Monday morning.

Kolkata Police Commissioner Replaced

According to the Commission’s official notification, Supratim Sarkar was removed as the Commissioner of Kolkata Police and replaced by Ajay Nanda.

The move comes shortly after the earlier removal of the state’s Chief Secretary and Home Secretary as part of broader administrative changes ahead of the elections.

DGP and Other Senior Officers Reshuffled

At the state level, Piyush Pandey was replaced as Director General of Police, with interim charge handed over to Siddhinath Gupta.

In another significant change, Vineet Goyal was replaced as Additional Director General (Law and Order) by Ajay Mukund Ranade.

Meanwhile, Natarajan Ramesh Babu has been appointed as Director General (Prisons), signalling a broader restructuring of the state’s policing hierarchy.

Immediate Implementation Ordered

The Commission directed all newly appointed officers to assume charge by 3 PM on Monday, while those removed from their posts have been barred from any election-related duties until the poll process concludes.

Administrative observers have described the rapid and large-scale reshuffle as “unprecedented”, highlighting the Commission’s determination to ensure strict neutrality in the law and order machinery during the election period.

Political Reactions

The ruling All India Trinamool Congress has criticised the move, alleging “over-activism” by the Election Commission and claiming the decision was influenced by the Bharatiya Janata Party.

However, the Election Commission had earlier indicated that strong measures would be taken to ensure free, fair, and violence-free elections in the state.

EC Review Visit

Earlier this month, a full bench of the Election Commission led by Gyanesh Kumar visited West Bengal to review election preparedness and law-and-order arrangements.

During meetings with senior police officials, the Commission reportedly issued firm directives to maintain neutrality and prevent electoral violence, steps that appear to have culminated in Monday’s sweeping administrative overhaul.

The reshuffle marks one of the largest pre-election police restructuring exercises in West Bengal, signalling a high-stakes and closely monitored electoral battle ahead.