With the Assembly polls scheduled in a couple of months, the Election Commission of India has asked the state home department to complete the transfer and posting of all police personnel directly associated with election-related duties by 15 February.
File Photo: IANS
With the Assembly polls scheduled in a couple of months, the Election Commission of India has asked the state home department to complete the transfer and posting of all police personnel directly associated with election-related duties by 15 February.
The Additional Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) of West Bengal in a directive to the state Home Secretary, has asked the department to comply with the order strictly and submit a compliance report to the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office by the same date.
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The report will then be forwarded to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
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An official in the CEO’s office said the move is aimed at ensuring neutrality and transparency ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections.
The transfer of police personnel linked to the electoral process has been described as a critical step, with the latest communication being a follow-up to guidelines issued earlier on 12 January, this time fixing a clear deadline.
The commission has underlined that no delay or leniency will be accepted in implementing the directive and has asked the state government to take prompt action in line with its guidelines concerning police officers and personnel engaged in election duties.
Political observers note that the transfer of police officials before elections has frequently sparked controversy in the past.
The ECI’s firm deadline has added fresh momentum to the issue, with attention now focused on how effectively the state administration executes the order within the stipulated time frame.
As a constitutional authority mandated to ensure free, fair and impartial elections, the ECI regularly uses the transfer of officials, particularly police and administrative officers, as a key mechanism to prevent undue influence on the electoral process.
Ahead of major polls, the commission typically orders the relocation of officers who have served long tenures in the same district, face past election-related complaints, or are perceived to have political proximity.
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