Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday appointed 15 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers and 10 Indian Police Service (IPS) officers from West Bengal as Special Roll Observers (SROs) for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in other states.
A communication from the Election Commission reached the West Bengal Secretariat ‘Nabanna’ on Wednesday, directing these officers to attend a two-day training session scheduled for February 5-6 to prepare them for their roles as SROs.
Upon completion of the training, the Commission will decide the states where these officers will be deployed as SROs.
However, the decision to appoint these 25 officers as SROs outside West Bengal has sparked a fresh dispute between the Election Commission and the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC).
Sources reveal that the Election Commission was compelled to take a unilateral decision as the West Bengal government deliberately ignored multiple communications requesting the names of bureaucrats and police officers for SRO appointments.
Officials from the Chief Electoral Officer’s office stated that after the state government disregarded three successive notices on this matter, the Commission had no option but to proceed with the appointments independently.
Notably, the list of 15 IAS officers includes the state’s Home Secretary, Jagdish Prasad Meena. The TMC has questioned whether the Commission can unilaterally appoint a state’s Home Secretary as an SRO for another state.
State TMC vice-president Jayprakash Majumdar accused the Commission of acting under the influence of the BJP. He claimed, “This is another conspiracy by the Commission working at the behest of the BJP. Elections are scheduled in five states this year, and only officers from states without elections should be appointed as SROs. The BJP is deliberately designing this game plan.”
On the other hand, BJP state vice-president Jagannath Chattopadhyay denied any involvement of his party in the matter. He said, “The Election Commission follows the same standard procedure while appointing SROs.”
The controversy highlights ongoing tensions between the Election Commission and the West Bengal government ahead of the upcoming elections.
My name is Bhupendra Singh Chundawat. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including technology, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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