Transfer of 4 DMs again proves BJP targeting Bengal for electoral gains: TMC

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday alleged that the transfer of four district magistrates in West Bengal by the EC ahead of the Lok Sabha elections vindicates its stand that the BJP was using the poll panel after facing peoples rejection in the previous state elections.

The Trinamool Congress on Thursday alleged that the transfer of four district magistrates in West Bengal by the EC ahead of the Lok Sabha elections vindicates its stand that the BJP was using the poll panel after facing people's rejection in the previous state elections. The EC on Thursday shunted out non-cadre district magistrates and police superintendents of several states on grounds that the posts were meant for IAS and IPS officers respectively. The list included DMs of Purba Medinipur, Jhargram, Purba Bardhaman and Birbhum districts in West Bengal. Previously, on March 19, the poll panel appointed Sanjoy Mukherjee as the state's director general of police after removing the earlier appointee Vivek Sahay in less than 24 hours. The West Bengal government had appointed Sahay to that post following an EC direction, after transferring the state's top cop Rajiv Kumar to a ''non-election'' related post. TMC Rajya Sabha MP and party national spokesperson Saket Gokhale said on X: ''Modi-appointed Election Commission changed West Bengal's DGP 2 times in 24 hours. And now this. Transfers, use of Central Forces, ED, CBI, IT & every trick in the book being used. “No matter what they do - the zamindars of BJP sitting in Delhi will get a befitting answer from Bengal in June,'' Gokhale said on the X handle.

BJP state spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya said that the EC has been transferring officials all over the country to ensure free and fair polls.

“It is only in Bengal that TMC is raising a hue and cry,'' Samik Bhattacharya told PTI.

Meanwhile, senior West Bengal minister Chandrima Bhattacharya stated in a press meet here that such steps by the EC, ''at the behest of BJP'', betrays the hollowness of the saffron party's assertion to better the tally of 18 seats it won in 2019. Bhattacharya asked, ''Why is the BJP pushing for so many transfers after (poll) date announcement, if it is so confident of victory? Why can't the BJP leave our officers out from its 'Mission Bengal' strategy?''