HC to hear plea on EC transfer of BDOs & police officers
Kolkata: A fresh petition challenging the Election Commission of India’s recent transfer orders for officials in West Bengal has been admitted by a Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen, is expected to take up the matter for hearing later this week after counsel for the petitioner sought an urgent listing.
The petition questions the poll panel’s decision to transfer 83 Block Development Officers (BDOs), who are also functioning as Returning Officers, along with 184 inspector-rank police officers currently serving as officers-in-charge or inspectors-in-charge across police stations in the state.
Appearing for the petitioner, senior advocate and Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee argued for an expedited hearing, raising concerns over the timing and scope of the transfers.
This marks the second challenge before the High Court on the issue of administrative reshuffles ordered by the Commission.
An earlier public interest litigation had already questioned the transfer, replacement, and deputation of senior and mid-level officials outside the state. During proceedings in that matter last week, counsel for the Commission defended the moves, telling the court that such decisions are taken based on state-specific requirements to ensure a free, fair, and violence-free electoral process. He maintained that while the Commission’s powers are not unlimited, it retains the authority to act in response to ground realities, particularly with polling underway in multiple states and Union Territories.
The petitioner, however, has alleged that the Commission began exercising control over the state’s administrative and police machinery even before the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct, during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
The plea raises a key constitutional question on whether the Commission’s powers extend to sweeping transfers and deputations of officials at its discretion.
