In a fresh round of administrative reshuffle ahead of the West Bengal Assembly Elections 2026, the Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered the transfer of Deputy Inspectors General (DIGs) across five key regions in the state on Wednesday.
According to an official directive issued by the Commission, DIGs posted in Raiganj, Murshidabad, Bardhaman, the Presidency Range, and Jalpaiguri have been removed from their current positions.
The move comes shortly after the ECI transferred several top officials, including the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police (DGP), and multiple Police Commissioners, following the announcement of the poll schedule.
As per the new postings, Rathod Amitkumar Bharat has been appointed DIG of Raiganj, Ajit Singh Yadav will take charge of Murshidabad, and Srihari Pandey has been assigned Bardhaman. Kankar Prasad Barui will oversee the Presidency Range, while Anjali Singh has been posted as DIG of Jalpaiguri.
The Commission stated that the reshuffle was undertaken to maintain law and order and ensure administrative neutrality during the election period. It emphasised that such steps are necessary for conducting free, fair, and peaceful elections.
The directive also instructed that the transfers be implemented with immediate effect, with a compliance report to be submitted within a stipulated timeframe. Additionally, it clarified that the transferred officials will not be reassigned to any election-related duties during the ongoing electoral process and must remain in their new postings until the polls conclude.
The latest development comes amid tensions between the state government and the poll body. Earlier this week, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had written to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, urging him not to carry out unilateral transfers of senior administrative and police officials.
However, the Commission proceeded with sweeping changes within hours, transferring several high-ranking IPS officers, including district Superintendents of Police and Police Commissioners. Wednesday’s reshuffle of DIG-level officers marks yet another step in the ECI’s efforts to streamline the administrative machinery ahead of the elections.
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