As the West Bengal assembly elections draw near, a major decision by the Election Commission of India is expected to significantly impact the dynamics on the ground. Across the 294 seats, Sub-Divisional magistrates or the Sub-Divisional Officers are to act as the returning officer (RO) in the upcoming elections.
What changes have been announced?
The Election Commission of India has announced in its official notice that the Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs), district-level officers, and other senior government officials will act as the Returning Officers for the upcoming assembly elections in the state. This directive is applicable and enforced by the Election Commission of India across all 294 assembly seats in West Bengal.
As per the Election Commission's official rules and the conduct of elections in India, it is generally a Sub-Divisional Magistrate or higher who serves as the Returning Officer during elections. However, in Bengal, the equation was a bit different. In West Bengal, 152 of the 294 constituencies were managed by officers below the rank of an SDM.
According to the ECI directive, the SDMs who would serve as returning officers in the upcoming elections had earlier served as Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and participated in the recently conducted Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Bengal.
Thus, for the first time, all the 294 constituencies of West Bengal will have a Sub-divisional Magistrate or a higher official as the Returning Officer, aligning with the trend in the rest of the country.
Also Read | Need an LPG refill? Here's the fastest way to book your cylinder
According to the ECI notification dated March 12, the SDO of Mekliganj has been appointed as the returning officer for the Mekliganj (SC) constituency, and the SDO of Mathabhanga has been appointed as the returning officer for the Mathabhanga seat. In a similar vein, the District Panchayat and Rural Development officer of Coochbehar has been entrusted with responsibility for the Coochbehar (SC) constituency. In other districts in Bengal, additional district managers (ADMs), district planning officers, and project directors of district rural development cells have been appointed as returning officers.
Also Read | PM Modi launches mega Rs 4,570 crore development push in Assam before polls
The Returning officers hold a vital role in the election process, from scrutinising nomination papers to overseeing polling and the official declaration of results in the given constituencies. With the ECI providing for the new arrangement in the Returning officers of the State, it is for us to see what impact this administrative tweaking will have on the upcoming elections. The tenure of the current government ends on May 7th, and elections are likely to be held in April-May.
