West Bengal Government Seeks Revision of Election Commission's Central Observer List
The West Bengal government has formally requested the Election Commission of India to revise its selection of central observers for upcoming assembly elections, proposing alternative names for nine of the fifteen IAS officers chosen by the poll panel. This development comes after the Election Commission included West Bengal Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena in its list of central observers for elections scheduled in other states.
Government's Formal Request and Rationale
In a detailed letter addressed to the Election Commission, the Mamata Banerjee-led administration specifically asked for nine officers, including the Home Secretary, to be relieved from central observer duties. The state government emphasized that these officers are currently engaged in "important duty of the state government" and their absence could potentially disrupt essential administrative functions.
The Election Commission had previously issued a directive requiring Meena and other selected officials to attend a crucial briefing meeting scheduled for February 5 and 6. The commission's communication included a stern warning about potential disciplinary actions for unauthorized absence from this mandatory session.
Election Commission's Stance and Selection Process
According to sources within the Election Commission, the selection of officers followed established protocols. A senior EC official clarified that the commission had "multiple times asked to give names of IAS and IPS officers from 1996 batches to 2016 batches, but the state government didn't give." Consequently, the commission proceeded to choose names through a random selection process.
The official further explained that the Election Commission typically avoids naming additional chief secretary-rank officers as observers and noted that Jagdish Prasad Meena does not hold that specific rank, having recently been given additional charge as Home Secretary.
Broader Electoral Context and State Concerns
This year's election schedule includes assembly polls in five regions: Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and West Bengal. According to some state government officials, the Election Commission normally excludes home secretaries and chief secretaries from central observer appointments. They expressed concern that this deviation from established practice could potentially lead to another confrontation between the Election Commission and the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal.
However, Election Commission sources have firmly denied any allegations of procedural irregularities or intentional provocation in their selection process.
Complete List of Selected Officers
The Election Commission's comprehensive list includes fifteen IAS officers designated as central observers:
- Jagdish Prasad Meena
- Asvini Kumar Yadav
- Salim P B
- Avanindra Singh
- Saumitra Mohan
- Smaraki Mahapatra
- Archana
- Sanjay Bansal
- P Mohan Gandhi
- Shubhanjan Das
- P Ulaganathan
- Saurav Pahari
- Rachna Bhagat
- Ritendra Narayan Basu Roy Choudhury
- Rajanvir Singh Kapur
Additionally, the commission has called ten IPS officers for observer duties:
- Bharat Lal Meena
- Rajesh Kumar Yadav
- Praveen Kumar Tripathi
- Rishikesh Meena
- Sabya Sachi Raman Mishra
- Sunil Kumar Choudhary
- Akhilesh Kumar Chaturvedi
- Sukesh Kumar Jain
- Anoop Jaiswal
- Sudheer Kumar Neelakantam
Administrative Implications and Next Steps
The Election Commission's communication to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal contained specific instructions regarding the briefing meeting. The commission directed that "the officer(s) may be informed that unauthorised absence from the Briefing Meeting shall be viewed very seriously by the Commission and may lead to initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the officer(s) concerned."
Furthermore, the Election Commission mandated that the briefing meeting notice must be served to all selected officers within twenty-four hours through any available means, with written confirmation and acknowledgment required to be submitted via email for the commission's perusal.
This development represents a significant administrative and procedural matter as multiple states prepare for crucial assembly elections, highlighting the delicate balance between central election management requirements and state government operational needs.
