The Election Commission (EC) on Monday evening transferred 73 Returning Officers (ROs) in West Bengal, including that of the Bhabanipur Assembly constituency, from where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee is contesting against BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari.
Among those transferred, a majority of the officers belong to the West Bengal Civil Services (WBCS).
Among those transferred, 13 officers are from North 24 Parganas, 10 from South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur each, four from Malda, Murshidabad, Kolkata North each, three officers from Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly, Paschim Medinipur, Paschim Bardhaman each, two from Cooch Behar, Uttar Dinajpur, Kolkata South, Bankura each, and one each from Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Dakshin Dinajpur, Purulia and Purba Bardhaman.
According to EC’s order, the state Chief Electoral Officer had proposed the transfers “for free and fair election”.
“I am directed to refer to your emails, dated 19.03.2026 & 23.03.2026 on the subject above and to state that the Commission has agreed to your proposal regarding transfer/posting of Returning Officers in the State of West Bengal, as per the list enclosed… You are requested to direct the officers to report to the ACs concerned, latest by 5 pm on 24.03.2026 (Tuesday), without fail, so that they can attend the training program scheduled at 11:00 am on 25.03.2026 (Wednesday),” read the letter sent to Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, Manoj Agarwal, by EC (Secretary) Sujeet Kumar Misra.
A senior officer of state administration said, “These transfers are unprecedented. Returning officers are the main person in charge of an Assembly constituency and take final decisions during the polling and counting. So, such large-scale transfers are very significant and unprecedented as well.”
The latest round of transfers follows a series of such orders beginning from the removal of the chief secretary, home secretary, DGP, and Kolkata Police Commissioner just hours after the Election Commission announced the poll schedule.
This was followed by the transfer of 12 Superintendents of Police, four Police Commissioners, and one Deputy Police Commissioner.
The EC also ordered deployment of 478 central observers to oversee the election process in the state – the highest compared to the five states/UT going to polls next month.