West Bengal Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, on Tuesday has renewed allegations that the state police function as an extension of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) government. This time, his criticism has escalated into a formal demand— the West Bengal police should not be deployed for any election-related duties.
Speaking on Tuesday, Adhikari claimed he has already apprised the Election Commission of India (ECI) of his concerns. He demanded that from the moment the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) comes into force — expected in February — state police personnel must not be engaged directly or indirectly in voting or election management.
The controversy follows a recent Digha Police Welfare Committee event, where Adhikari alleges that police personnel publicly praised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. Displaying a video clip from the programme, he claimed that officers openly endorsed Mamata and expressed support for seeing her return to power for a fourth term.
Adhikari argued that such conduct raises serious questions about impartiality, stating, “No other state’s police behaves like this. This is happening only in West Bengal.” He alleged that by engaging in political appreciation, the state police were “sacrificing their dignity and self-respect” to serve the ruling TMC government.
To ensure free and fair elections, Adhikari proposed a greater deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF). He also suggested that police forces from outside West Bengal could be brought in to handle tasks typically managed by state police during elections.
According to him, the early demand — raised nearly three months ahead of the expected MCC notification — was made to allow the ECI sufficient time to plan and implement alternative arrangements. “What measures they take is their decision,” Adhikari said, adding, “but action must begin now so the Commission can prepare in advance.”
The BJP has long maintained that the West Bengal Police act under the influence of the TMC government. Adhikari’s latest statement adds fresh intensity to that long-standing political fault line.
The opposition leader reiterated that “Daladas police” — a reference to police allegedly loyal to the ruling party — cannot be entrusted with election duties if impartiality is to be preserved.
The state government has not yet formally responded to the allegations.
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