ECI sends former state home secy JP Meena as poll observer to Tamil Nadu

Days after removing him from his post in a late-night administrative reshuffle following the announcement of the 2026 Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to appoint former West Bengal Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena as a poll observer in Tamil Nadu.

According to commission sources, Meena has been assigned to oversee polling in an Assembly constituency in Tamil Nadu.

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His removal came shortly after the poll schedule was announced on Sunday, as part of a sweeping overhaul of the state’s top administrative and police leadership.

Within hours of the announcement, the ECI ordered the transfer of several senior officials.

In a late night development ~ hours after the announcement of polls on Sunday ~ Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty was replaced by Dushyant Nariala, while Sanghamitra Ghosh took charge as the new Home Secretary.

The commission also reshuffled key police positions, appointing new officers as Director General of Police, Kolkata Police Commissioner, and Additional Director General (Law and Order).

The move triggered a sharp political reaction in the state.

Reacting to the development of midnight transfers, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, strongly objecting to the abrupt transfers.

She described the late night action as a “midnight purge” and questioned the timing, asking how officials could be removed at 12.30 a.m.

In her letter, Banerjee alleged that the commission’s directives, issued immediately after the poll announcement, disrupted the administrative framework of the state.

Alleging that the state government was not consulted before removing key officials, the chief minister said that as per established convention, the ECI seeks a panel of three names from the state before making appointments or transfers to crucial posts during elections.

Calling the latest move “unilateral” and “arbitrary,” Banerjee raised concerns over the institutional credibility of the Election Commission, stressing that its reputation rests on neutrality, transparency and procedural fairness.

Interestingly enough, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari had earlier said that merely removing officials was not enough and that they should be sent outside the state.

Political observers believe that the commission’s decision to send Meena outside the state will only complicate the political atmosphere as it will give opportunity to the Opposition to say the commission was carrying out the directions from the BJP.

However, the developments have intensified tensions between the state administration and the Election Commission at the outset of the election process.