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EC Removes 149 Bengal Cops From Poll Duty Ahead of 2026 Elections

The Election Commission of India has ordered the transfer of 149 lower-level police officers in West Bengal, removing them from all election-related duties. The officers, comprising 81 Inspectors and 68 Sub-Inspectors, must report to their new posts by a specified deadline. This action is part of a broader three-phase transfer initiative targeting police officials ahead of the state's electoral process. The Commission has also mandated these officers to submit a bond ensuring they will not interfere in the voting process.

Key Points: EC Transfers 149 Bengal Police Officers Ahead of Elections

  • 149 lower-level officers transferred
  • 81 Inspectors and 68 Sub-Inspectors affected
  • Officers barred from poll-related duties
  • Part of three-phase transfer process
2 min read

Bengal 2026 polls: EC removes 149 lower-level police officers from election duty

Election Commission orders transfer of 149 Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors in West Bengal, barring them from election-related duties for upcoming polls.

"these police officers will have to give a bond that they will not interfere in the voting process directly or indirectly - Election Commission of India"

Kolkata, April 10

The Election Commission of India has ordered the transfers of 149 lower-level police officers of the ranks of Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors and also their removal from any poll-related duty in West Bengal.

Among the 149 cops transferred and removed from poll-related duties, 81 are Inspector-rank officers, and the remaining 68 are Sub-Inspector rank officers.

Insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that these Inspectors and Sub-Inspectors have also been allotted new responsibilities.

According to a notification issued by the commission on Thursday, they will have to take charge of their new posts by 5 P.M. on Friday.

It is learnt that the district police superintendents concerned will implement the order of the Commission on this count.

The ECI had also directed that these police officers will have to give a bond that they will not interfere in the voting process directly or indirectly.

The two-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal are scheduled on April 23 and April 29. In the first phase, there will be polling for 152 Assembly constituencies, in the second phase for the remaining 142 constituencies. The results will be declared on May 4.

The Inspectors who have been removed from polling work include two from Cooch Behar, four from Raiganj Police District, four from Islampur Police District, one from Alipurduar, three from South Dinajpur, two from Siliguri, three from Diamond Harbour Police District, two from Baruipur Police District, three from Barasat Police District, one from Basirhat Police District, one from Bangaon Police District, four from Barrackpore, six from Bidhannagar, four from Krishnanagar Police District, four from Ranaghat Police District, one from Asansol Durgapur, three from West Midnapore, five from East Midnapore, two from Purulia, two from Birbhum, one from Jalpaiguri, three from Malda, and one from Bankura.

The CEO's office insider said that the transfer of cops in West Bengal had been done in three phases. The first phase was for the top ranking officers, like director general, additional director generals, inspector generals and director generals.

In the second phase, the transfer of mid-level officers, superintendents, additional superintendents, sub-divisional police officers and deputy superintendents of police was done.

In the third and final stages, the transfers were for lowest ranked officers like Inspector and Sub-Inspectors.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Good move, but why wait for the third phase to transfer the lower-level officers? They are the ones on the ground with the most direct contact with voters. Should have been done alongside the senior officers. Better late than never, I suppose. 🤞
A
Aman W
This is standard procedure before major elections, especially in sensitive states. The EC is just doing its job to maintain impartiality. Hope this leads to peaceful and fair voting. Jai Hind!
P
Priyanka N
Seeing officers from so many districts on the list... it shows how widespread the concern is. My family is in Krishnanagar, and they always talk about police being partisan. Hope this brings some change.
D
David E
Interesting to see the systematic approach - top down in three phases. The EC seems to be covering all bases. The bond requirement is a clever legal deterrent. Hope it works on the ground.
K
Kavitha C
While I support free & fair elections, I feel for these officers and their families. A sudden transfer with less than a day to report is very disruptive. Couldn't this have been managed with more notice? There must be a balance.

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