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Journalism of Courage
West Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose Tuesday sent back a proposal related to the appointment of former state chief secretary Rajiv Sinha as the new state Election Commissioner that was sent to him by the state government . The term of the current State Election Commissioner Sourav Das had ended on March 28 but he was given a two-month extension by the government. A retired IAS officer, Das’s extension would end on May 28.
According to reports, the state government had sent a proposal to Governor Bose on May 18 suggesting Sinha’s name as the new election commissioner of the state. “Five days later, the Governor sent back the proposal. The Governor wanted to know the state government’s reason for proposing Sinha’s name. We sent our reply on Wednesday,” said a senior government official.
Sinha served as Bengal’s chief secretary from September 2019 to September 2020. After he retired, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee roped him in for various government assignments including his current posting as the chairman of West Bengal Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation (WBIIDC). “The Governor had questioned Sinha’s neutrality as the latter has served on government posts even after retirement,” a source said.
The issue comes in the wake of the upcoming panchayat elections in the state. The three-phase rural elections are slated to be held this year. A senior State Election Commission official said, “We think the panchayat elections are not likely to be held in the state before July. If that’s the case, then the new election commissioner will have sufficient time to prepare for the polls.”
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