After the announcement of the dates of assembly elections to be held in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday (March 15, 2026) removed state Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty and Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena from the post. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission during a rally held in the capital Kolkata on Monday (March 16, 2026) over the reshuffle of top bureaucrats and police officers of the state.
He said that the removal of the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary by the Election Commission shows serious disrespect towards the efficient officers of Bengal. Transferring the female secretary without consulting the state government is an anti-women step.
Mamata Banerjee’s attack on BJP
During this time, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has also made a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He said that BJP should be ashamed because on the day of the Prime Minister’s rally, anti-social elements supported by the party attacked the house of Bengal Minister Shashi Panja. I challenge BJP to attack the houses of me and other Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders, we know how to face it.
He said that we will hit BJP with a sixer, its workers will regret choosing their party. Mamata Banerjee asked the people of Bengal to unite to boycott the Bharatiya Janata Party in the assembly elections.
ECI also transferred bureaucrats
According to the report of news agency PTI, while the Election Commission issued orders for the transfer of top bureaucrats of the state after the announcement of the dates for the upcoming assembly elections in West Bengal, in another order the next day on Monday (March 16, 2026), the Election Commission also removed the state Director General of Police (DGP) Piyush Pandey and Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar. He is among the four top officers of the Indian Police Service (IPS) changed before the assembly elections in Bengal.
Also read: BJP releases first list of candidates in West Bengal, Shubhendu Adhikari will challenge Mamata Banerjee
