“The manner in which the Election Commission has singled out and targeted Bengal is not just unprecedented – It is deeply alarming,” the chief minister wrote. In its orders the commission had made it clear that the officials removed from their positions will not be appointed to any poll-related duty. Mamata accused the commission of leaving the two important commissionerates of Siliguri and Bidhannagar being left “headless” without replacements. Mamata said, "Senior officers function as both senior planners and key decision-makers. Post-disaster rescue and restoration operations are carried out under the leadership of senior officers who possess intimate knowledge of the terrain and local vulnerabilities.

Source: The Telegraph March 19, 2026 15:39 UTC