With the Assembly elections only a few months away, a fresh controversy has erupted in West Bengal after the Election Commission of India (ECI) directed that the state home secretary, Jagdish Prasad Meena, undergo training as an observer for possible deployment in another state.
Apart from the home secretary, the commission has asked a total of 15 IAS and 10 IPS officers from West Bengal to undergo observer training. The officers may be deputed to other states in connection with forthcoming elections. While the practice of sending IAS and IPS officers from one state to act as election observers in another is not new, questions have been raised in political and administrative circles over whether a serving state Home Secretary can be assigned such a role.
The move has triggered sharp reactions from the ruling Trinamul Congress, which alleged that the Election Commission was acting at the behest of the BJP. The BJP, however, dismissed the charge and maintained that the process was strictly as per established norms. Besides Mr Meena, the list of officers asked to undergo training reportedly includes several senior officials, among them Howrah Police Commissioner Praveen Tripathi, Ulaganathan, Sanjay Bansal and Shubhanjan Das. The training programme has been scheduled for 5 and 6 February.
The central question being debated is not whether officers can be deputed as observers outside their home states ~ a long-standing practice ~ but whether it is appropriate to include a key functionary like the Home Secretary in such a list. A senior TMC leader, however, argued that the Home Secretary plays a crucial role in maintaining law and order within the state and that his inclusion raises concerns, particularly in the run-up to elections. According to the Election Commission, however, the decision was taken after due process.
Commission sources said that the ECI had sent as many as five reminders to the state government seeking a list of eligible officers for observer duties, in line with established procedures. When no list was forthcoming, the commission decided to include the Home Secretary and the Police Commissioner, among others, for observer training.
The ECI has also clarified that undergoing training does not automatically mean that the officers will be appointed as observers. Reacting strongly, TMC leader Jay Prakash Majumdar alleged a “conspiracy” behind the move. “This is being done in a motivated manner. The BJP is orchestrating this from behind. Elections are due in five states. Observers can easily be drawn from states where there are no elections. The BJP is desperate and is designing such game plans,” he said.
The BJP countered the allegations, asserting that the commission was merely following long-established norms. BJP leader Jagannath Chatterjee said the ECI has been preparing observer panels batch-wise since 1952 and that there was nothing unusual about the current exercise.