'Why Is BJP So Desperate?': Mamata Over Major Bureaucracy Reshuffle Before Bengal Elections

Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee On Thursday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI) after more than 50 senior officials were transferred ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in the state. She called the transfers an “undeclared emergency” and questioned why the BJP was “so desperate”.

‘Deeply Alarming'

In a post on X, Banerjee said, “The manner in which the Election Commission has singled out and targeted Bengal is not just unprecedented- It is deeply alarming. Even before the formal notification of elections, more than 50 senior officials including the Chief Secretary, Home Secretary, DGP, ADGs, IGs, DIGs, District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police have been summarily and arbitrarily removed. This is not administrative action rather this is political interference of the highest order."

Calling this a calculated attempt to cripple Bengal’s administrative machinery, Mamata said, senior officers from critical agencies like IB, STF and CID are being selectively removed and dispatched out of the state.

‘Assault On Constitution'

The Chief Minister called the bureaucracy change a “systematic politicisation of institution meant to remain impartial". She called this a direct assault on the Constitution.

The CM further noted that the ECI earlier directed that the removed officers should not be assigned election duties, yet within hours, the same officers were sent out as election observers.

“The appointment of the Commissioners of Police of Siliguri and Bidhannagar as observers, without even putting replacements in place, left two vital urban centres effectively headless. It was only after this glaring lapse came to light that rushed corrections followed. This is not governance. It reflects chaos, confusion and sheer incompetence being passed off as authority," Banerjee added.

‘BJP Trying To Seize Control Of Bengal'

The Chief Minister accused the BJP of trying to seize control of the state through “coercion and institutional manipulation".

“What we are witnessing is nothing short of an undeclared emergency and an unpromulgated form of president’s rule driven by political vendetta, not democratic principles. Having failed to win the trust of Bengal’s people, the BJP is now attempting to capture the state through coercion, intimidation, manipulation and the misuse of institutions," she added.

‘Why Is The BJP So Desperate?'

The Chief Minister also called the SIR process “deeply faulty”, adding, “The conduct of the Commission reflects a clear bias and an uncomfortable submission to political interests, continuing to put the people of Bengal at risk. Supplementary electoral rolls are still not published, in clear disregard of the Hon’ble Supreme Court’s directions, leaving citizens anxious and uncertain."

She further questioned, “Why is the BJP so desperate? Why this relentless targeting of Bengal and its people? What satisfaction do they derive from forcing citizens, even after 78 years of Independence, to stand in queues and prove their own citizenship?"

The CM also stressed that “Bengal will fight, Bengal will resist and Bengal will decisively defeat every attempt to impose a divisive and destructive agenda on its soil."

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