The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday directed the governments of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to transfer certain categories of officers connected to election work, marking a procedural step that usually paves the way for assembly elections.
All five states are scheduled to go to the polls in early 2027. Staff engaged in the ongoing special summary revision of electoral rolls – which is underway in the five states between November 12 and January 4 – will be transferred only after the final publication of the rolls, in consultation with the CEO . Chief secretaries and DGPs must submit compliance reports by November 30. The Commission also removed 73 returning officers in the state. More than 50 officers were transferred in Bengal, far more than the reshuffles in other poll-bound states. The Calcutta high court dismissed two petitions challenging the transfers on March 31, and the Supreme Court later rejected another petition.
District officers such as District Election Officers (DEOs), Returning Officers (ROs), Additional District Magistrates (ADMs) , Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs), Tehsildars and Block Development Officers (BDOs); Divisional and Municipal Commissioners were covered under the order. Election-linked officers must file a declaration within two days of the last date for filing nominations, stating that they are not close relatives of any contesting candidate and have no pending criminal cases. The letter comes as the commission steps up groundwork for the five-state elections. This first round will be followed by a visit of the full commission, led by chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and election commissioners Sukhbir Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. Trinamool Congress leaders opposed the move and accused the poll body of acting as an extended arm of the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Senior officers led by deputy election commissioners have begun taking stock of preparations, with teams visiting Uttarakhand and Manipur earlier this month. this exercise became contentious in West Bengal earlier this year when the commission replaced the chief secretary and DGP soon after announcing poll dates Although routine.
