News Desk: In a swift administrative move shortly after announcing the Assembly election schedule, the Election Commission of India (ECI) late Sunday night removed West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty and Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena from their respective posts.
The poll panel simultaneously appointed senior bureaucrat Dushyant Nariala as the new Chief Secretary, while Sanghamitra Ghosh has been designated as Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs, replacing Meena.
The Commission has also barred both Chakraborty and Meena from holding any election-related responsibilities until the completion of the ongoing Assembly polls.
In an official communication, the ECI directed the state government to implement the changes immediately and submit a compliance report confirming the joining of the newly appointed officers by 3 PM on Monday, March 16.
Dushyant Nariala, a 1993-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, has held several key administrative assignments in the state. He was elevated to the Apex Pay Scale in 2024 while serving as Additional Chief Secretary in the state administration.
Sanghamitra Ghosh, a 1997-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, is currently serving as Principal Secretary in the Women & Child Development and Social Welfare Department. She will now take charge of the crucial Home and Hill Affairs portfolio during the election period.
Earlier the same day, the Election Commission had announced that Assembly elections in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases — on April 23 and April 29. The counting of votes for all states going to polls will take place on May 4.
Meanwhile, uncertainty continues over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise linked to the electoral rolls. Judicial officers across West Bengal and neighbouring states are still scrutinizing nearly 60 lakh forms submitted under the revision process.
During the last hearing, the Supreme Court directed the creation of an appellate bench to hear appeals against cases where voter names were deleted following adjudication.
With the election schedule now in place, concerns have emerged over whether the supplementary SIR list can be finalized and published before the deadline for filing nominations, potentially adding another layer of complexity to the electoral process in the state.
