Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday selected 15 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and 10 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers from West Bengal for appointment as Special Roll Observers (SROs) for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in other states.
A formal communiqué from the ECI reached the West Bengal Secretariat, Nabanna, directing the selected officers to attend a two-day training programme scheduled for February 5 and 6. After completion of the training, the Commission will decide the states to which these officers will be deputed as SROs.
Training to Precede State Allocation
According to officials, the training programme will familiarise the officers with the procedures, responsibilities, and legal framework governing the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. The final posting of the officers to specific states will be determined after assessing requirements following the training.
ECI Forced to Take Unilateral Decision
Sources in the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office said that the ECI was compelled to take a unilateral decision in selecting officers from West Bengal after three consecutive communiqués sent to the state government, seeking names of eligible IAS and IPS officers, were ignored.
As per sources, the lack of response from the state government left the Commission with no option but to directly select officers to ensure that the SIR exercise in other states was not affected.
Fresh Rift Between ECI and Trinamool Congress
The decision has triggered a fresh confrontation between the ECI and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) in West Bengal. The party has raised strong objections to the Commission’s unilateral approach in appointing officers without consulting the state government.
Objection Over Inclusion of State Home Secretary
One of the key points of contention is the inclusion of West Bengal Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena in the list of 15 IAS officers selected as SROs. The Trinamool Congress questioned whether the Election Commission has the authority to unilaterally appoint a serving state Home Secretary as an SRO for another state.
The party has argued that such a move raises serious administrative and constitutional concerns.
TMC Alleges Political Conspiracy
Trinamool Congress state Vice-President Jaiprakash Majumdar alleged that the Commission’s decision was politically motivated and taken at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“This unilateral action of the Commission is yet another conspiracy. The BJP is doing it from behind. Elections will be held in five states of India this year. In the states where there are no elections, work could have been carried out with SROs from those states only. The BJP is desperately making all these game plans,” Majumdar said.
BJP Denies Allegations
Rejecting the allegations, BJP state Vice-President Jagannath Chattopadhyay denied any role of his party in the matter. He maintained that the Commission was following established procedures.
“This is the normal procedure followed by the Election Commission of India while appointing Special Roll Observers,” Chattopadhyay said.
Political Tensions Ahead of Key Elections
The development has added another layer of tension between the ECI and the West Bengal government, especially at a time when assembly elections are scheduled in five states this year. The controversy is expected to escalate further as the training dates approach and the deployment of the officers is finalized.
