Kolkata’s political corridors are buzzing after the Election Commission of India (ECI) took a bold step by directly appointing 15 IAS and 10 IPS officers from West Bengal as Special Roll Observers (SROs) for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drives in other states. The order, issued Wednesday, comes amid accusations of stonewalling by the state administration.

A communique delivered to the Nabanna secretariat mandates these officers to undergo training on February 5 and 6, after which they will be dispatched to their assigned states. This move bypasses the usual protocol where state governments nominate personnel, revealing deep cracks in coordination.

Insider accounts from the Chief Electoral Officer’s office indicate that West Bengal ignored three ECI requests for nominations, forcing the commission’s hand. The inclusion of Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena in the list has particularly irked the Trinamool Congress, which sees it as overreach.

TMC leader Jayprakash Majumdar didn’t mince words, calling it a ‘BJP-orchestrated plot’ to meddle in electoral processes, especially with assembly elections looming in five states. He questioned the logic of deploying officers from a politically charged state like Bengal elsewhere.

Countering this, BJP’s Jagnnath Chattopadhyay defended the ECI, stating it’s routine practice. This clash underscores broader concerns over the politicization of bureaucracy and the ECI’s strategies to enforce neutrality.

As India gears up for a crucial election year, such interventions could reshape how electoral rolls are scrutinized. The training phase will be pivotal, determining the effectiveness of these SROs in upholding democratic standards across polling regions.