West Bengal Government Seeks Replacement of Nine Central Observers for Assembly Elections
The West Bengal government has formally requested the Election Commission of India to replace nine Bengal cadre officers who have been appointed as central observers for the upcoming assembly elections in five states and union territories. This significant development comes as election preparations intensify across the country.
Official Request for Officer Replacement
The state administration has submitted an alternative list of nine officers to the Election Commission, requesting that they replace the nine officials originally named by the commission. Among those the state government wishes to retain is Jagdish Prasad Meena, who currently serves as the Bengal Home Secretary.
"The state government sent a letter to the EC with an alternative list of nine officers, requesting to replace the nine on the commission's list, including state home secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena," confirmed a senior official at the Bengal Chief Electoral Officer's office on Thursday. The official, however, did not disclose the names of the officers mentioned in the alternative proposal.
Background of the Election Commission's Appointment
This request follows the Election Commission's earlier communication through undersecretary ML Meena, who sent a letter to Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal. The letter contained a list of 25 Bengal cadre officers—15 from the Indian Administrative Service and 10 from the Indian Police Service—who were named as central observers.
These officers were scheduled to attend a crucial briefing meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on February 5 and 6 in Delhi. The briefing was intended to prepare observers for their duties during the assembly elections in Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.
Officers the State Wishes to Retain
According to administrative sources, the West Bengal government has expressed its desire to retain several key officers from the Election Commission's original list. The officers the state administration does not want to release include:
- Jagdish Prasad Meena
- Sanjay Bansal
- P Mohan Gandhi
- Avanindra Singh
- PB Salim
- Soumitra Mohan
- Shubhanjan Das
- Rachna Bhagat
- P Ulganathan
Alternative Officers Proposed by the State
In their place, the West Bengal government has suggested an alternative panel of officers to serve as central observers. The proposed replacements include:
- Rajiv Kumar
- Abhinav Chandra
- Niranjan Kumar
- Bishwanath
- Apala Seth
- Tapas Kumar Bagchi
- Sasim Kumar Barai
- Sonam Bhutia
- R Arjun
Additional Developments Regarding Observer Appointments
In a related development, two Indian Police Service officers included in the Election Commission's central observers list—Bharat Lal Meena and Rishikesh Meena—have approached the Chief Electoral Officer seeking relief from their observer duties on medical grounds.
The Chief Electoral Officer's office will forward their applications to the Election Commission for formal consideration, according to administrative sources. This adds another layer of complexity to the observer appointment process as election authorities work to finalize arrangements for the upcoming polls.
The West Bengal government's request highlights the intricate coordination required between state administrations and constitutional bodies like the Election Commission during election periods. The replacement of central observers represents a significant administrative decision that could impact election monitoring and implementation across multiple states.
