In a blistering critique, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has accused the Election Commission of orchestrating a pre-election purge of state officials, dubbing the situation an ‘undeclared emergency.’ Her remarks on X platform underscore deepening rifts between the TMC government and the poll panel.
Over 50 high-ranking bureaucrats—from chief secretary to district-level officers—were transferred in a sweeping action before polls were officially declared. Banerjee slammed this as arbitrary and politically motivated, not mere routine reshuffles.
She alleged that impartial institutions are being weaponized against Bengal, violating constitutional norms. Amid a controversial SIR drive linked to 200+ deaths and delays in supplementary voter lists defying SC orders, the ECI’s bias is evident, according to her.
Selective oustings from vital agencies like IB, STF, and CID are crippling governance, Banerjee claimed. Turning the spotlight on BJP, she demanded answers for their obsession with destabilizing Bengal. ‘Proving citizenship after 78 years of freedom is a national disgrace,’ she fumed.
Banerjee spotlighted ECI flip-flops: barred officials redeployed as observers hours later, and police commissioners from key urban hubs shunted without backups, causing temporary leadership vacuums in Siliguri and Bidhannagar—errors hastily corrected.
‘What we’re witnessing is anarchy, incompetence, and a blueprint to control Bengal through institutions,’ she charged. Likening it to emergency-era excesses, Banerjee said BJP’s poll strategy hinges on fear and pressure since electoral appeal eludes them.
Expressing solidarity with affected officers, the CM declared Bengal’s unyielding spirit: ‘We will battle every ploy to the end.’ This confrontation sets the stage for a contentious electoral showdown.