The Election Commission has asked the West Bengal government to submit a panel of three officials for appointment as returning officer (RO) in the Bhabanipur assembly seat after the ruling Trinamool Congress objected to the posting of an officer who, the party alleged, is close to BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, an official said on Thursday.
Bhabanipur is the constituency of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, where Adhikari is set to challenge her in the upcoming polls.
Surajit Roy, the BDO of Nandigram, was earlier appointed as the RO for the high-profile seat, triggering protests from the Trinamool Congress, which alleged that he was “close” to Adhikari and could influence the poll process.
Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the outgoing assembly, represents Nandigram constituency, where he defeated Banerjee in the 2021 state polls by 1,956 votes. The BJP named him as a candidate also for this seat.
Following the complaint lodged by the ruling party, the poll panel wrote to Chief Secretary Dushmanta Narial, seeking a panel of three suitable officers for consideration.
A senior EC official said the move was aimed at ensuring “neutrality and transparency” in the conduct of elections.
“The Commission has taken note of the representation (of the TMC) received on March 24 and has sought a panel to ensure that the appointment process remains fair and unbiased,” the official told PTI.
Officials in the state secretariat Nabanna said the government sent the panel of names to the Commission on Thursday.
The development comes after the Trinamool Congress formally complained to the ECI, alleging that Roy was acting under the influence of Adhikari.
The ruling party had questioned the neutrality of the poll body and alleged that the BJP was attempting to “use the Election Commission to gain advantage during elections”.
The Chief Minister had also written to the Commission earlier, criticising it for taking decisions without consulting the state government.
West Bengal has a total of 294 assembly constituencies, each overseen by an RO responsible for key electoral functions, including acceptance of nominations and conduct of polling.
The assembly elections will be held on April 23 and 29, and votes will be counted on May 4.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
