Kolkata/New Delhi: In a significant move ahead of the high-stakes West Bengal Legislative Assembly election, 2026, the Election Commission of India has cancelled the West Bengal government’s rehabilitation of 15 IPS officers who had earlier been removed from election-related duties and barred from poll responsibilities in the state.
The late-night order directs that these officers be deputed outside West Bengal as election observers in other states, ensuring that they do not influence the electoral process during the upcoming Assembly elections.
The Commission’s decision comes amid sustained demands from opposition parties and despite objections raised by Mamata Banerjee, who had questioned the removal and transfer of officers without consultation with the state government.
15 IPS Officers to Serve Outside West Bengal During Election Period
According to the Election Commission’s decision, the 15 IPS officers whose alternative postings have now been cancelled will be assigned observer responsibilities outside the state during the election period.
The officers named in the list are:
- Akash Magharia
- Alok Rajoria
- Amandeep
- Abhijit Banerjee
- Bhaskar Mukherjee
- C. Sudhakar
- Dhritimaan Sarkar
- Indira Mukherjee
- Murli Dhar
- Mukesh
- Praveen Kumar Tripathi
- Priyabrata Roy
- Sandeep Karra
- Rashid Munir Khan
- Syed Waqar Raja
Among them, Murli Dhar had been serving as Police Commissioner of Bidhannagar, while Syed Waqar Raja was heading the Siliguri Police Commissionerate before the latest reshuffle.
ECI Move Linked to Ensuring Neutral Poll Administration
Election authorities have decided to send these officers outside the state to ensure neutrality during polling and to prevent any possibility of their influence over district-level administrative or policing arrangements during elections.
Officials indicated that deputing them as observers elsewhere would remove any concern over their presence in Bengal’s sensitive electoral environment while also utilising their administrative experience in election management.
Opposition Parties Had Demanded Complete Removal from State
The decision follows sustained pressure from opposition parties, particularly Bharatiya Janata Party, which had argued that merely shifting officers within West Bengal would not be sufficient.
Opposition leaders had demanded that officers removed from poll duties should be sent completely out of the state for the duration of the election process to ensure a level playing field.
Political observers view the Election Commission’s latest order as a response to these concerns ahead of what is expected to be a highly contested election.
Mamata Banerjee Objected to Officer Transfers
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier criticised the Election Commission’s handling of officer transfers and removals, arguing that established convention requires the Commission to seek a panel of names from the state government before making replacements.
She had written to Gyanesh Kumar, objecting to the large-scale reshuffle of senior IAS and IPS officers in the state.
The latest order is likely to intensify the ongoing administrative and political friction between the state government and the Election Commission ahead of polling.
West Bengal Polling Schedule
West Bengal’s 294-member Assembly will vote in two phases:
- Phase 1: April 23, 2026 — 152 Assembly constituencies
- Phase 2: April 29, 2026 — 142 Assembly constituencies
Counting of votes will take place after completion of polling under extensive monitoring by central observers, security forces, and election authorities.
Large Administrative Changes Continue Ahead of Polls
The latest development comes amid one of the most extensive pre-election bureaucratic reshuffles in West Bengal in recent years.
The Election Commission has already transferred multiple senior IAS and IPS officers, including district election officers, district magistrates, police commissioners, and senior administrative officials, as part of its effort to tighten election supervision in the state.
