The Election Commission of India (ECI) has ordered a major reshuffle in West Bengal's police leadership ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. The move comes a day after the poll body announced the schedule for the state polls and follows a review of election preparedness in the state.
New DGP appointed
As part of the changes, the ECI has replaced Director General of Police (DGP) Peeyush Pandey with Siddh Nath Gupta. According to the commission's directive, Gupta will take charge as the Director General and Inspector General of Police (in-charge).
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The reshuffle is aimed at ensuring smooth and impartial conduct of the elections in the state.
Changes in key police positions
The poll panel has also appointed Ajay Kumar Nand as the new Commissioner of Kolkata Police. He replaces Supratim Sarkar in the position.
In addition to these changes, Natarajan Ramesh Babu has been named Director General of Correctional Services. The commission has also ordered the appointment of Ajay Mukund Ranade as Additional Director General and Inspector General of Police (Law and Order).
These appointments are part of a broader restructuring of senior police positions in the state ahead of the election process.
Immediate implementation ordered
According to an official communication, the Election Commission has directed the West Bengal government to implement the changes without delay.
The commission also instructed the state administration to submit a compliance report confirming the implementation of the orders by 3 pm on Monday.
The EC further clarified that officers who have been transferred from their current positions should not be assigned any election-related duties during the polling period.
The directive will remain in effect until the completion of the Assembly elections in West Bengal.
Polling dates and vote counting schedule
Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India on Monday announced that the West Bengal Assembly elections will be held in two phases, with polling scheduled on April 23 and April 29, 2026. Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar revealed the schedule during a press conference, outlining the timeline for nominations, scrutiny and polling across the state.
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According to the announced schedule, the first phase will cover 152 Assembly constituencies, while the second phase will include 142 constituencies, completing polling for all 294 seats of the West Bengal Legislative Assembly.
Polling will take place on April 23 (first phase) and April 29 (second phase). The counting of votes will be conducted on May 4, 2026, with the entire election process expected to be completed by May 6, 2026.
