EC transfers block official, divests 2 ADMs of poll duty in Bengal in separate moves

Kolkata, Apr 28 PTI The Election Commission on Tuesday transferred the Joint Block Development Officer BDO of Falta in South 24 Parganas district, barely hours before the final and second phase assembly poll in West Bengal, following protests by the ruling TMC in the constituency over the visit of special police observer Ajay Pal Sharma.

Kolkata, Apr 28 (PTI The Election Commission on Tuesday transferred the Joint Block Development Officer (BDO) of Falta in South 24 Parganas district, barely hours before the final and second phase assembly poll in West Bengal, following protests by the ruling TMC in the constituency over the visit of special police observer Ajay Pal Sharma. The EC also removed two Additional District Magistrates, one of them in charge of South 24 Parganas district, of poll-related responsibility, but did not cite reasons in another notice on Tuesday night. An EC official said the Joint BDO, Sourav Hazra, has been moved out of Falta and posted to Purulia with immediate effect. He will be replaced by Ramya Bhattacharya, he said, describing it as a routine transfer. In the second order, the EC removed ADM of South 24 Parganas, Bhaskar Pal, and ADM of Birbhum, Souvik Bhattacharya, from all election-related duties, the official said. The transfer of Hazra, which takes place as Falta goes to polls among 245 constituencies on April 29, comes in the backdrop of allegations of non-cooperation by him with EC-appointed police observer Sharma, who faced protests by TMC workers during his visit to the residence of TMC candidate Jahangir Khan and his associates in the area since Monday night. However, no reason was cited in the EC orders. Sharma, accompanied by central force personnel, visited the residence of Khan on Monday midnight and issued a stern warning over alleged voter intimidation. On Tuesday, the situation further escalated as the observer conducted route marches in sensitive areas and carried out searches based on inputs about potential troublemakers. Tension peaked when supporters of the Trinamool gathered near the party office and staged a protest against the observer's action. The Prayagraj ACP, who earned the moniker 'Singham' for his crackdown on criminals, faced protests as TMC supporters raised 'go back' and 'Jai Bangla' slogans wherever he went. Falta, which falls under the Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha seat represented by TMC heavyweight Abhishek Banerjee, is considered a sensitive constituency and witnessed heightened surveillance and deployment of central forces to ensure free and fair polling. Sharma, an Uttar Pradesh-cadre IPS officer, was seen in a video where he warned potential troublemakers of ''appropriate treatment'' if they try to disrupt Wednesday's polling in West Bengal. The TMC accused the police observer of overstepping his role and ''intimidating'' party workers. With over a hundred armed central paramilitary troops, an armoured vehicle, and a list of potential ''trouble makers'' in his pocket, the 2011-batch IPS combed the South 24 Parganas district's Falta Assembly seat for two days on a trot.