KOLKATA / NEW DELHI — Just twenty-four hours after announcing the schedule for the 2026 Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered a massive administrative reshuffle in West Bengal. In a decisive move to ensure “neutrality and transparency,” the Commission has transferred six high-ranking officials, including the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police (DGP), effective immediately.
The reshuffle follows the Sunday announcement that West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29, with the results scheduled for May 4, 2026.
Key Administrative Changes
The ECI has replaced several of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s top-tier administrators with senior officers who will oversee the state during the model code of conduct period.
| Position | Outgoing Officer | Newly Appointed Officer |
| DGP & IGP | Peeyush Pandey | Siddh Nath Gupta (IPS-1992) |
| Chief Secretary | Nandini Chakravarty | Dushyant Nariala (IAS-1993) |
| Kolkata Police Commissioner | Supratim Sarkar | Ajay Kumar Nand (IPS-1996) |
| Home Secretary | Jagdish Prasad Meena | Sanghamitra Ghosh (IAS-1997) |
| DG, Correctional Services | — | Natarajan Ramesh Babu (IPS-1991) |
| ADG & IGP (Law & Order) | — | Ajay Mukund Ranade (IPS-1995) |
According to the official order, the transferred officers are strictly prohibited from holding any election-related posts until the entire voting process is completed.
Election Calendar: Two-Phase Polling
While other poll-bound states like Tamil Nadu and Kerala will vote in a single phase, the EC has maintained a multi-phase approach for West Bengal’s 294 seats to manage security and logistics effectively.
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Phase I (April 23): 152 constituencies across 16 districts.
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Phase II (April 29): 142 constituencies across 7 districts (including Kolkata).
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Counting of Votes: May 4, 2026.
Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar stated that the reduction from the eight phases used in 2021 to just two phases this year was based on “detailed deliberations” and a desire for administrative convenience without compromising on safety.
A New Governor and High Stakes
The administrative shift comes shortly after a change at the Raj Bhavan. Following the resignation of CV Ananda Bose on March 5, RN Ravi (formerly the Governor of Tamil Nadu) took the oath as the 22nd Governor of West Bengal on March 12.
The 2026 election is a high-stakes battle for Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who has led the state for 14 years. If the Trinamool Congress (TMC) secures a victory, Banerjee will become the first woman in Indian history to serve four consecutive terms as Chief Minister. However, the BJP remains the primary challenger, setting the stage for what is expected to be one of the most intensely contested elections in the state’s history.
