Kolkata: Two former Kolkata Police chiefs have crossed into politics on rival sides. Days after the TMC sent Rajeev Kumar to the Rajya Sabha, the BJP fielded his batchmate Rajesh Kumar from Jagaddal for the Assembly polls.
An officer of the 1990 batch, Kumar retired in January 2026 following his last assignment as Principal Secretary of Mass Education Extension and Library Services department.
He has also served as the Member Secretary of West Bengal Pollution Control Board, holding the dual charge of Principal Secretary of the Environment Department for some time.
During his IPS tenure, he held key leadership roles as Kolkata Police Commissioner, CID chief, and DGP of Traffic and Road Safety, earning the President’s Police Medal for Meritorious Service and the Chief Minister’s Medal for Outstanding Services.
“My decision to step into politics has been a conscious decision. Working in the police force for 35 years has given me the opportunity to do public service. My new assignment is basically a continuity of public service. I am thankful to my national party leadership PM Modi ji, Home minister Amit Shah ji and BJP state leaders for bestowing confidence in me and providing me a platform through which I will be able to continue public service,” said Kumar. Talking about his close professional association with former DGP Rajeev Kumar, who retired on the same day and currently serves as a MP for the Trinamool, he said that both of them have been in very close touch for 35 years.
“On August 20, 1990, we joined the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration in Mussoorie and then Sardar Vallabhai Patel National Police Academy in Hyderabad and then induction into the West Bengal cadre, where we both worked together for so many years. Rajeev Kumar has got an excellent platform, and my greetings are always with him, and I am sure that his greetings will always be with me,” said Kumar.
Kumar claimed that, having served as ADG CID, he is well aware of the issues associated with Jagaddal, including drinking water, drainage, criminal activities, among other issues, and if he is elected, he will prioritise addressing these problems.”