3 min readKolkataJul 24, 2025 11:48 AM IST
First published on: Jul 24, 2025 at 01:59 AM IST
Citing a “lack of administrative and financial autonomy” available to the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the Election Commission has asked the West Bengal government to create a separate Election Department, completely delinked from any other state department.
In a letter dated July 17 and addressed to the West Bengal Chief Secretary, the Election Commission wrote: “The Commission has noted lack of financial and administrative autonomy available to CEO, West Bengal, in the existing arrangement, wherein CEO’s office functions with limited financial powers relying on a minor permanent advance from the Finance Department. Further, the CEO’s office has been categorized as a subordinate branch of the Home & Hill Affairs Department, which is led by a principal secretary-level officer, whereas the CEO himself is of ACS rank.”
The EC was referring to the West Bengal government’s April 3 notification, appointing IAS officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal as the state CEO. He was also made ex-officio Additional Chief Secretary of the Home and Hill Affairs Department.
Directing the state government to create a separate Election Department, the EC said: “The Election Department should have a dedicated budget head. This will facilitate full financial and administrative autonomy to the CEO, as required for the effective and impartial conduct of elections.”
The letter also stated that “suitable financial powers at par with ACS/Pr Secretary/ Secretary of other department” be given to the state CEO. “A separate financial advisor needs to be posted in the Election Department to assist the CEO in effective discharge of his official duties,” it added.
While the state government has so far not commented on the EC’s letter, TMC and Left leaders condemned it, calling it an RSS conspiracy.
“The state will give funds, but can’t control, can’t give an opinion, it cannot be,” said TMC MLA and Speaker of the Assembly, Biman Banerjee.
Former Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar, who was also the CEO of West Bengal during Left rule, said, “It is basically a power-grabbing tool. When I was CEO, I worked with the state government and had no problem.”
Veteran CPI(M) leader Rabin Dev said, “This is nothing but a part of RSS’ conspiracy to grab power. They have already changed the selection of the Election Commissioner of India. The independent character of the ECI has been taken away.”
BJP state unit president Samik Bhattacharya, however, said the ECI wants to make the structure of the CEO more independent. But our state government doesn’t want it. One can easily conclude who is trying to grab power.”
In most of the states, the CEO works in the state government. In Bihar, the Election Department is a separate department under the Chief Minister’s Office. Gujarat has a separate Election Department, not under any department of the state government, but the CEO is drawn from Gujarat IPS cadre.
In most of the states, the CEO works in the state government. In Bihar, the Election Department is a separate department under the Chief Minister’s Office. Gujarat has a separate Election Department, not under any department of the state government, but the CEO is drawn from Gujarat IPS cadre.
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