West Bengal Elections 2026: In a key move to tighten poll preparedness, the Election Commission of India has ordered the transfer and posting of several IAS officers ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The directive, issued from Kolkata, focuses on appointing District Magistrates-cum-District Election Officers (DM-cum-DEOs) across crucial districts.
Officials said the reshuffle is aimed at ensuring a neutral and efficient administrative setup in the run-up to the elections.
Key District Postings Announced
As per the order, the following officers have been assigned new roles:
- Jitin Yadav (2016) – DM-cum-DEO, Cooch Behar
- Sandeep Ghosh (2016) – DM-cum-DEO, Jalpaiguri
- Vivek Kumar (2016) – DM-cum-DEO, Uttar Dinajpur
- Rajanvir Singh Kapur (2012) – DM-cum-DEO, Malda
- R Arjun (2010) – DM-cum-DEO, Murshidabad
- Srikant Palli (2015) – DM-cum-DEO, Nadia
- Sweta Agarwal (2016) – DM-cum-DEO, Purba Bardhaman
- Smita Pandey (2005) – Municipal Commissioner, KMC-cum-DEO, Kolkata North
- Randhir Kumar (2006) – DEO, Kolkata South
- Shilpa Gourisaria (2009) – DM-cum-DEO, North 24 Parganas
- Abhishek Kumar Tiwary (2012) – DM-cum-DEO, South 24 Parganas
- Harishanker Panicker (2013) – DM-cum-DEO, Darjeeling
- T Balasubramanian (2013) – DM-cum-DEO, Alipurduar
EC Transfers 5 DIGs
The ECI has ordered the transfer of five Deputy Inspector Generals (DIGs) in West Bengal ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections, directing immediate compliance and reshuffling key police leadership positions. Rathod Amitkumar Bharat, RR 2009 to be posted as DIG, Raiganj Range; Ajeet Singh Yadav, RR 2011 to be posted as DIG, Murshidabad; Shrihari Pandey, RR 2011 to be posted as DIG, Bardhaman; Kankar Prosad Barui, SPS 2007 to be posted as DIG, Presidency Range and Anjali Singh, RR 2009 to be posted as DIG, Jalpaiguri.
Immediate Implementation, Deadline Set
The Commission has directed that all postings be implemented with immediate effect. A compliance report confirming that the officers have assumed charge must be submitted by 5:00 PM on the specified deadline.
Bar On Election-Linked Roles for Transferred Officials
In a further directive, the Election Commission has clarified that officers transferred out of their current roles will not be assigned any election-related responsibilities until the completion of the polling process.