Election Commission changes DGP and Kolkata Police Commissioner before West Bengal elections

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday appointed Siddh Nath Gupta as the new DGP and IGP of West Bengal replacing Peeyush Pandey. Ajay Kumar Nand has been appointed by ECI as the new Commissioner Kolkata Police, replacing Supratim Sarkar, in an unprecedented reshuffle, several hours after the announcement of poll dates yesterday.

Ajay Mukund Ranade, 1995 batch IPS, has been appointed as ADG & IGP (Law & Order)-West Bengal, replacing Vineet Kumar Goyel. Ranade has worked as Howrah Police Commissioner and in several other significant posts. Ranade was presently serving as ADG-Telecommunication.

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The Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in his media interaction yesterday had assured that elections in West Bengal would be violence free & peaceful. In pursuance of this objective, ECI appoints/transfers senior police officials of WB including the DGP of WB & CP Kolkata, ECI said.

Gupta is a 1992 batch IPS officer and was presently serving as DG-Correctional Services while Ajay Kumar Nand is a 1996 batch IPS officer. Nand has worked successfully in Maoist belt of Bengal and was Commissioner of Barrackpore Commissionerate.He has played an important role in suppressing Maoist movement in Jangalmahal area.

In another change Natarajan Ramesh Babu, (IPS-1991) will be posted as DG, Correctional Services- West Bengal, ECI said in a notification.

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The Election Commission has said that the changes have to be implemented with immediate effect and a compliance report in this respect of joining should be sent by 3:00 PM on March 16.

Yesterday, in an unprecedented development on Sunday night, only few hours after poll announcement, the ECI had ordered the transfers of the West Bengal Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakraborty, and the State Home Secretary, Jagdish Prasad Meena, and also ordered that both will not be involved in any kind of election-related duty. Dushyant Nariala replaced Chakraborty, Shanghamitra Ghosh replaced Meena.

The ECI had pointed out that Chakraborty and Meena will not be involved in any kind of election-related duty.