Overview
- Trinamool Congress filed a petition in the Calcutta High Court challenging the Election Commission’s transfers of IAS and IPS officers, including the chief secretary, home secretary, DGP and Kolkata police chief, with a hearing expected early next week.
- The Election Commission cancelled the state’s alternative postings for 15 IPS officers and deputed them outside West Bengal as police observers, then paused some inter‑state transfer orders for senior officers after issuing initial directions.
- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee escalated her objections in public letters and posts, calling the reshuffle unconstitutional political interference and an undeclared emergency, while the EC has said the moves follow a poll preparedness review.
- The voter‑list Special Intensive Revision has turned into a central dispute as TMC brands the process deeply flawed after large‑scale deletions, and BJP and allied leaders defend the roll cleanup and the transfers as routine for free and fair polls.
- Poll preparations are ramping up with plans reported for large deployments of central forces, and voting is scheduled in two phases on April 23 and 29 with counting on May 4.