IPS officers were transferred as per the orders of the Election Commission of India.

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday ordered the transfer of 19 senior police officers in West Bengal, the third consecutive day of such reshuffle in the poll-bound state.The election body replaced the ADG/IGP of South and North Bengal regions, police commissioners of Howrah, Barrackpore, Chandannagar and Asansol-Durgapur along with 12 superintendents of police (SP) and one deputy commissioner (DC) of 13 districts.

The first round of transfers in the top state bureaucracy came hours after the ECI on Sunday announced the assembly election schedule for four states, including West Bengal and the Union Territory of Puducherry.The second round of transfers took place in the senior ranks of West Bengal Police on Monday afternoon. Under Article 324 of the Constitution, the ECI has the power to transfer officials directly involved in elections. Under this, the election body has the power of “superintendence, direction and control” over the entire election machinery in a state or union territory during elections.However, the transfers drew sharp criticism from the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which rules West Bengal, in Parliament. TMC MP Derek O’Brien announced a one-day walkout from the Rajya Sabha by party MPs in protest against “transfers made by the ECI in the middle of the night”. However, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju insisted that the Election Commission was exercising its constitutional mandate and accused the TMC of “routinely attacking constitutional bodies”.“All 294 assembly seats in West Bengal will go to polls in two phases – April 23 and 29 – for 152 and 142 seats respectively. Counting of votes will take place on May 4.