Amidst intensifying tensions between the West Bengal administration and the Election Commission of India (ECI), the state’s Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakraborty, arrived in New Delhi on Friday. Sources indicate that her sudden visit follows the state government’s failure to submit mandatory compliance reports regarding electoral procedural lapses.

The conflict stems from multiple directives issued by the Commission that have allegedly gone unheeded by the state administration.

Repeated Failures to File FIRs

A primary point of contention involves the state’s inaction regarding disciplinary measures ordered against election officials. Despite formal directives sent on August 5, 2023, and January 2, 2024, the state has reportedly failed to file First Information Reports (FIRs) against two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and a data entry operator.

These officials are accused of violations under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. This issue was previously raised with former Chief Secretary Manoj Pant, who was also summoned to the capital.

Specific Violations Cited

The ECI highlighted several other instances of non-compliance:

Basirhat-I BDO Incident: The Commission ordered action against Sumitra Pratim Pradhan, BDO and AERO of Basirhat-I, within 48 hours of a January 25 directive. Pradhan is accused of unlawfully appointing 11 additional AEROs and conducting hearings without authorization.

Transfer Order Violations: The state has failed to cancel the transfers of three Electoral Roll Observers; Ashwini Kumar Yadav, Randhir Kumar, and Smita Pandey which the ECI contends violates guidelines set on October 27, 2025.

ERO Appointment Non-Compliance: Disregarding a June 26, 2023, mandate, the state has not appointed SDO/SDM-level officers as EROs or Returning Officers (ROs), despite repeated reminders.

Deadline Missed

The Election Commission had set a strict deadline of 3:00 PM on February 9 for the West Bengal government to submit a comprehensive report addressing these discrepancies. Following the state’s failure to meet this deadline, the Chief Secretary’s appearance in Delhi is seen as a direct consequence of this standoff.

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