EC rejects Bengal govt plea, orders 25 officials to attend special training for upcoming poll

PTI, KOLKATA, FEB 4, 2026: Rejecting West Bengal government's request for exemption, the EC has directed 25 IAS and IPS officers from the state to attend the central observer training for the upcoming Assembly elections in New Delhi, a senior official said on Wednesday. The list also includes Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena.

A source at the state Chief Electoral Officer's office said the officials have been instructed to attend the briefing sessions in the national capital on February 5 and 6. He added that the Election Commission (EC) has directed that the decision be "communicated immediately" to all concerned to avoid any confusion. "The commission has made it clear that all designated officers must participate in the training," he told PTI.

The order comes amid escalating tensions between the state administration and the EC over the appointment of central observers for Assembly elections in West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.

The state had argued that sending top officials outside the state could disrupt law and order and administrative functioning, and sought exemption for 17 of the 25 designated officers, proposing alternative names. However, the poll body, citing repeated requests to the state for a final list, rejected the plea and instructed that the officials attend the sessions as scheduled. "The officers' presence is critical to ensure proper monitoring and fair conduct of the polls," the official added.

Political observers in Kolkata noted that inclusion of the state's home secretary on the central observer list is highly unusual. "It is unprecedented for a poll-bound state to have its top law-and-order official appointed as a central observer," said a political analyst familiar with the issue.

The EC had earlier issued guidelines specifying that 25 senior officials from the five states would serve as central observers during the upcoming Assembly elections and had released the names of the selected officers, including 15 IAS and 10 IPS officers from West Bengal.

The training sessions are expected to orient the central observers on their duties, polling protocols, and monitoring mechanisms to ensure free and fair elections. The EC's move underscores its emphasis on preparedness and adherence to constitutional obligations ahead of the poll.