Controversial West Bengal DGP Among Bureaucrats Transferred By Election Commission For Level Playing Field, Here's List

The Home Secretaries of six states — Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand and West Bengal's Director General of Police (DGP) were transferred by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Notably, Bengal DGP Rajeev Kumar was removed as commissioner of police in Kolkata ahead of the 2016 Assembly elections as well. He was also involved in a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) controversy in 2019.

He is known to be close to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as she herself staged a dharna opposing CBI's raid against Kumar and ended it only after the Supreme Court's assurance of no coercive steps like arrest.

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had issued strict instructions to the bureaucracy in West Bengal asking them to maintain impartiality, transparency, and accessibility to all parties, ensuring a fair electoral process.

The order on Monday (18 March) came a few days after the Model Code of Conduct was implemented as the ECI announced the poll schedule. The transfers are to ensure level playing field for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The secretaries of the general administrative departments of Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh, Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional commissioners and deputy commissioners were also removed.

Earlier, the ECI had directed all the state governments to transfer those officers who have completed three years or are posted in their home district. The ECI then took action itself when state governments failed to do so.