Election Commission Appoints Returning Officers for All 294 Assembly Seats in West Bengal

PTI, March 12, 2026, New Delhi: The Election Commission of India on Thursday appointed returning officers for all 294 assembly constituencies in poll-bound West Bengal.

For the first time in West Bengal, the poll panel has upgraded returning officers of 152 constituencies to Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs), equivalent or higher-level officers, similar to the practice followed in the rest of India.

The Election Commission, in a notification issued on Thursday, appointed SDMs, equivalent or higher-level officers as returning officers for all assembly constituencies in the state.

Officials said that on the insistence of the poll panel, the Government of West Bengal has now provided officers of “requisite seniority” for being appointed as returning officers for the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Returning officers (ROs) were appointed in the state for the last time in 2023. Some of the ROs appointed now are from the 2023 lot, while 152 are new, a functionary explained.

The EC recently visited the state to assess poll preparedness. The Assembly elections there are expected to take place in April along with polls in Tamil Nadu, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry.

The EC and the All India Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal have been at loggerheads on various issues, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list.

In Parliament, opposition parties are planning to seek the removal of Gyanesh Kumar, the Chief Election Commissioner, alleging a partisan approach.

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