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In round 2 of bureaucratic reshuffle, ECI transfers 2 IGs, 12 SPs, 4 commissioners and a deputy commissioner in Bengal

The Election Commission of India has deployed 478 central observers, the highest among the five states/UT going to the polls next month.

3 min readKolkataUpdated: Mar 17, 2026 04:34 PM IST

The Election Commission of India has said the transferred officers should not be posted in any poll-related posts till the completion of the Assembly elections. (File photo)

After transferring the chief secretary, home secretary, DGP, Kolkata police commissioner, and other top officials, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday reshuffled 12 police superintendents, four police commissioners, and a deputy police commissioner in Assembly poll-bound West Bengal. The ECI also deployed 478 central observers, the highest among the five states/UT going to the polls next month.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has protested against such “sweeping” transfers of administrative and police officials, expressing “deep concern and surprise” in a letter written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, whom she asked to “refrain from adopting such unilateral measures in the future”.

On Sunday night and Monday, after the announcement of the poll dates, the ECI replaced Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty with Dushyant Nariala. Similarly, Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena was replaced with Sanghamitra Ghosh. The poll body also replaced Director-General of Police Peeyush Pandey with 1992-batch IPS officer Siddh Nath Gupta. Ajay Kumar Nand was appointed police commissioner of Kolkata, replacing Supratim Sarkar.

On Tuesday, the EC ordered the posting of Rajesh Kumar Singh as ADG and IGP, South Bengal Region, and K Jayaraman as ADG and IGP, North Bengal. By the same order, it posted Pranav Kumar as Commissioner of Police, Asansol-Durgapur; Akhilesh Kumar Chaturvedi as Commissioner of Police, Howrah; Amit Kumar Singh as Commissioner of Police, Barrackpore; and Sunil Kumar Yadav as Commissioner of Police, Chandannagar.

Yeilwad Shrikant Jagannathrao is the new deputy commissioner for the Central Division of the Kolkata Police.

By a separate order, it posted police superintendents in 12 districts: Pushpa (Barasat police district), Jaspreet Singh (Coochbehar), Surya Pratap Yadav (Birbhum), Rakesh Singh (Islampur police district), Kumar Sunny Raj (Hooghly Rural), Ishani Paul (Diamond Harbour police district), Sachin (Murshidabad police district), Alaknanda Bhowal (Basirhat police district), Anupam Singh (Malda), Angshuman Saha (Purba Medinipur), Surinder Singh (Jangipur police district), and Papiya Sultana (Paschim Medinipur).

“The directions of the Commission to be implemented with immediate effect and a compliance report in respect of joining of above officers be sent by 11:00 AM on 18.03.2026. Further, the officers transferred out shall not be posted in any election-related posts till the completion of elections,” the ECI order stated.

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The ECI stated that 478 central observers would be deployed in West Bengal to oversee the Assembly polls. These include 294 general observers—one each for a seat—84 police observers, and 100 expenditure observers for Bengal.

The observers will be stationed in the state by Wednesday.

Ravik Bhattacharya

Ravik Bhattacharya is a highly experienced and award-winning journalist currently serving as the Chief of Bureau of The Indian Express, Kolkata. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, Ravik possesses deep expertise across a wide range of critical subjects and geographical areas. Experience & Authority Current Role: Chief of Bureau, The Indian Express, Kolkata. Expertise: Extensive reporting across West Bengal, Odisha, Assam, and the Andaman Nicobar Islands. Ravik specializes in politics, crime, major incidents and issues, and investigative stories, demonstrating a robust command of complex and sensitive subjects. Experience: His long and distinguished career includes key reporting roles at several prestigious publications, including The Asian Age, The Statesman, The Telegraph, and The Hindustan Times. Ravik's current role marks his second stint with The Indian Express, having previously served as a Principal Correspondent in the Kolkata bureau from 2005 to 2010. Major Award: Ravik's authority and quality of work are substantiated by his winning of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award in 2007 for Political Reporting. Education: His strong academic foundation includes a Bachelor's degree with English Honours from Scottish Church College under Calcutta University, and a PG Diploma in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Ravik Bhattacharya's extensive tenure, specialized beat coverage, and notable award confirm his status as a trusted and authoritative voice in Indian journalism, particularly for stories emanating from Eastern India. ... Read More

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