Kolkata/New Delhi: The Election Commission has made it clear that it must transfer eight officials in West Bengal by tomorrow, rejecting chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s request.
After refusing yesterday to comply with the commission's order to transfer five superintendents of police, one district magistrate and two additional district magistrates, the West Bengal government had on Tuesday agreed to the transfer, but sought that they be replaced with officials of its choice.
A day after the Election Commission directed the removal of eight officials from poll duty in West Bengal prompting an Ms Banerjee to threaten to defy the order, the state government on Tuesday requested the poll panel to reconsider its decision.
"Yes, the Chief Secretary has written to the Commission urging it to reconsider its decision regarding removal of the officers", a highly placed source told PTI.
He said that in his letter, the Chief Secretary has also pointed out that the transfers were made and their replacements in the vacancies were done without consulting the state government.
The EC had on Monday ordered removal of five SPs, a District Magistrate and two ADMs following complaints against them.
It had also named the officers who are to replace the incumbent SPs, the DM and ADMs.
Addressing an election rally, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had yesterday taken serious exception to the transfers and said she was not going to accept the order.
She had said, "I will not remove a single officer. Let the Commission do it. The transfers were made without consulting the state govenment. I heard that the five SPs have been given transfer orders. Without even asking the state, the (new) names have also been decided".
The state's Chief Electoral Officer Sunil Gupta told PTI, "I heard that the Chief Secretary has written a letter to the CEC this morning. I don't know the content. Please ask the Chief Secretary about it."
To a question if he had any communication from the CEC's office in this regard, Gupta said, "I don't have any communication as yet."
West Bengal Advocate General Bimal Chatterjee refused to comment on whether he was consulted by the state government on a possible crisis over the Chief Minister statement that the EC directive would not be followed.
"I will not say anything on this," he said when contacted over phone.
