New Delhi/Kolkata, March 19 (UNI) West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday strongly criticised the Election Commission of India for what she described as “arbitrary, unilateral and biased” actions during the ongoing special intensive revision of electoral rolls.
In a strongly worded letter addressed to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Banerjee expressed her deep shock at the ECI’s functioning, alleging it has crossed “all boundaries of decency and constitutional propriety.”
This is the second letter the Chief Minister has written to the CEC within a week.
The Chief Minister wrote, “I am deeply shocked by the functioning of the Election Commission of India (ECI), which, in my view, has crossed all boundaries of decency and constitutional propriety.” She further stated that since the commencement of the special intensive revision, the ECI has acted with “apparent bias, showing little regard for ground realities or the well-being of the people.” Banerjee mentioned she has repeatedly brought these concerns to the notice of the Commission “but to no avail.”
Banerjee’s letter highlights several grievances, including the large-scale transfer of senior officers from the state administration immediately after the announcement of elections without cogent reasons and in the absence of any alleged violation of electoral rules or the Model Code of Conduct.
“These large-scale transfers have been effected immediately following the announcement of elections, without any cogent reasons and in the absence of any allegation of violation of electoral rules or the Model Code of Conduct by the concerned officers,” she noted.
The Chief Minister also pointed out the unilateral replacement of several senior officers of the state, including the Chief Secretary, the Secretary (Home and Hill Affairs), the Director General and Inspector General of Police, as well as other senior police and civil officers.
Several District Magistrates-cum-DEOs, Superintendents of Police and Commissioners of Police have also been transferred, and many senior officers like Principal Secretaries of Food and PWD have been deployed on observers’ duty, causing “serious disruption to the administration”, the missive said.
Banerjee criticised the deployment of 15 senior police officers from the state as observers in other poll-bound states without consultation with the state government and without providing prior training or orientation.
She termed this “a strange” move, especially as a day before their deployment as Observers, sayig “they were removed and deemed ineligible for any election-related duties, yet in stark contradiction to its own directions, ECI appointed them as election observers in other states”.
“This hastiness and unilateral allocation of duties is arbitrary, amounts to a misuse of authority and reflects a serious overreach by the ECI,” Banerjee stated.
The Chief Minister further argued that senior officers function as both strategic planners and key decision-makers in the state, involved in effective coordination and handling of sensitive matters.
Their sudden removal at this juncture, she said, “could severely hamper emergency response efforts,” especially considering March and April are prone to severe storms (Nor’westers) which often cause significant damage to life and property. Post-disaster rescue and restoration operations are carried out under the leadership of senior officers who possess intimate knowledge of the terrain and local vulnerabilities.
Banerjee further urged the ECI to refrain from such actions, stating, “I once again urge the Election Commission of India to refrain from such arbitrary, unilateral and biased actions, which are against public interest and contrary to the democratic ethos of our nation.”
Banerjee has approached the Supreme Court seeking protection of the fundamental and democratic rights of the people due to the what she alleged high-handed actions of the ECI. The Supreme Court has intervened and issued certain directions, which are presently under implementation.
The Chief Minister’s strong criticism comes amid ongoing tensions between the State government and the ECI over electoral processes.
