West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India, accusing it of “targeting” the state and acting with political bias ahead of the assembly elections.
In a post on X, Banerjee alleged that more than 50 senior officials, including the Chief Secretary, DGP, District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police, were “arbitrarily removed” even before the formal poll notification. She termed the move “political interference of the highest order” rather than administrative action.
The Chief Minister further claimed that the “systematic politicisation” of institutions was a direct assault on the Constitution. She also flagged concerns over the ongoing SIR process, alleging it was flawed and had already resulted in over 200 deaths, putting citizens at risk.
Raising questions over transparency, Banerjee said supplementary electoral rolls were yet to be published despite directions from the Supreme Court, leaving voters uncertain. She also criticised the alleged transfer of key officers from agencies such as IB, STF and CID, calling it an attempt to weaken the state’s administrative structure.
Questioning the BJP’s intentions, Banerjee accused the party of trying to “capture” West Bengal through coercion and misuse of institutions after failing to win public trust.
She also pointed to “contradictions” in the Commission’s decisions, including appointing removed officers as election observers, calling it evidence of “chaos and incompetence”.
Calling the situation an “undeclared emergency”, Banerjee expressed solidarity with state officials and asserted that Bengal would resist any attempt to impose a “divisive agenda”.
