Photo credit: IANS

New Delhi: Announcing major changes in West Bengal’s administrative and police officers within hours of announcing the election schedule, the Election Commission ordered immediate replacement of the state Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), Principal Secretary (Home) and Kolkata Police Commissioner, among others.The overriding powers of the Election Commission to transfer officers directly engaged in the conduct of elections stem from Article 324 of the Constitution, which places the entire election machinery in the election-bound State/Union Territory under its “superintendence, direction and control” during the preparation of electoral rolls and the conduct of elections to Parliament and State Legislatures.

West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty was ousted along with Principal Secretary (Home) Jagdish Prasad Meena late on Sunday night. Both are seen close to the ruling party in the state. EC ordered that Dushyant Nariyala, A IAS The 1993 batch officer will be posted as Chief Secretary with immediate effect and Sanghamitra Ghosh, a 1997 batch IAS officer, will be posted as Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs.

On Monday afternoon, another series of transfers started in high posts of West Bengal Police. DGP Piyush Pandey was removed and replaced by 1992 batch IPS officer Siddharth Nath Gupta. 1996 batch IPS officer Ajay Kumar Nand has been appointed in place of Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar.“At the Election Commission’s press conference on Sunday, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had assured that the elections in West Bengal will be violence-free and peaceful. In pursuance of this objective, the Election Commission has posted/transferred senior police officers of the state, including the DGP and the Kolkata Police Commissioner,” a senior Election Commission official told TOI.Also making changes to the crucial post of ADG and IGP, Law and Order – with a direct role in preventing political clashes and violence as well as judicious deployment of security forces for election security – the Election Commission removed 1995 batch IPS officer Ajay Mukund Ranade from the post.Natarajan Ramesh Babu, a 1991 batch IPS officer, was ordered to be posted as Director General of Correctional Services. The transfers – which are not unusual as the Election Commission had replaced top officials in West Bengal during previous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections – had drawn sharp criticism. Trinamool Congress In Parliament. TMC MP Derek O’Brien, despite being the Parliamentary Affairs Minister, announced a one-day walkout by party MPs from Rajya Sabha in protest. Kiran Rijiju Underlined that the Election Commission has the constitutional right to do so and alleged that TMC has made it a habit to attack all constitutional bodies.