EC Orders Major Pre-Poll Reshuffle; 83 Officers, 170 OCs Transferred

SOUMITRA NANDI, MP, 30 Mar 2026, Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday ordered a sweeping reshuffle, transferring 83 officers, including Block Development Officers (BDOs) and Assistant Returning Officers (AROs), across the state. It also transferred officers-in-charge (OC) of 170 police stations — 31 in Kolkata and 142 in districts — marking one of the largest pre-poll exercises.

The transfers cover key constituencies such as Bhowanipore, where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is pitted against Suvendu Adhikari, and Nandigram, where Adhikari is also contesting. With 516 police stations, the order shifts over one-third of officers-in-charge in a single day.

At the administrative level, the highest transfers took place in East Midnapore, where 14 BDOs and AROs were moved, including from two blocks in Nandigram. South 24 Parganas followed with 11 transfers. Additionally, five officials were shifted in Nadia, seven in North 24 Parganas, four in Hooghly, one in Howrah, two in West Midnapore, three in Purulia, four in Bankura, seven in East Burdwan, one in West Burdwan, and six in Birbhum. Among other districts, three officials were transferred from Cooch Behar, two from Jalpaiguri, one each from North and South Dinajpur, six from Malda, and four from Murshidabad.

In a related development, a Nabanna notification announced the transfer of four Returning Officers (ROs) to Assembly constituencies, though it remains for the Commission to decide if they will assume charge. Earlier, on Thursday night, the Commission had transferred 14 Returning Officers across 14 Assembly constituencies in nine districts; those appointed five days earlier were later relieved.

Alongside the police station reshuffle, 11 senior police officials were also removed, taking Sunday’s total transfers to 184. The reshuffle spans almost the entire state, including Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, Malda, South Dinajpur, Murshidabad, Nadia, North and South 24 Parganas, Howrah, Hooghly, East and West Midnapore, Birbhum, and Bankura.

“The Commission, acting at the behest of the BJP, has made changes in the top brass. Now they have transferred so many BDOs. During elections, we need officers with good knowledge of a place for proper law and order. Will the new ones handle situations during the polls? Such steps will boomerang for both the BJP and the EC when the results are out,” said Jai Prakash Majumdar of the Trinamool Congress.