The Election Commission of India has officially notified the appointment of Neelam Meena as the new Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal. The appointment comes after the previous CEO, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, was elevated to the Chief Secretary of the state.
"The Election Commission of India, in consultation with the Government of West Bengal, hereby designates Neelam Meena, IAS, [WB:1998] as the Chief Electoral Officer for the State of West Bengal with effect from the date she takes over charge and until further orders in place of Manoj Kumar Agarwal, IAS. "
On Sunday, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Kalyan Banerjee lashed out at the Election Commission and former Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal Manoj Kumar Agarwal, accusing the body of being biased and collusion in the electoral system.
Key Highlights:
- Election Commission of India appointed Neelam Meena as Bengal CEO
- Kalyan Banerjee alleged bias and collusion between the Election Commission and BJP
- Rahul Gandhi criticised Agarwal’s appointment, alleging BJP-EC collusion
“The Election Commission did not play straight,” Banerjee said in relation to the manner in which the election machinery was handling the polls.
"We have said this several times that the Election Commission did not act fairly, rather they favoured the BJP...there was a complete understanding between the CEO and the BJP...in the counting halls, they rigged the whole election. Candidates and agents of TMC were lynched and thrown away...CISF and CRPF have played the role of looters...rampant rigging had been done," he alleged.
Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the West Bengal Chief Executive Officer (CEO), was appointed as the Chief Secretary in the recent administrative reshuffle led by the BJP government, which is the reason behind his speech.
A notification issued by the West Bengal Government said, "The Governor is pleased to appoint Manoj Rumar Agarwal, (AS (WB:1990), Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, and ex office Additional Chief Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs (Election) Department, Govt. of West Bengal, as Chief Secretary to the Government of West Bengal until further order(s)."
The TMC leader's criticism did not stop at West Bengal, but extended to former Chief Electoral Officer of the state Rathan U Kelkar, who was appointed as Secretary to the Chief Minister in Keralam VD Satheesan, calling it "wrong".
West Bengal's Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, had strongly criticized the newly formed Bharatiya Janata Party government in the State in earlier May when the State Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal was made the Chief Secretary.
The Congress MP again accused of a collusion between the Election Commission and the BJP in a tweet that was sent from an X post.
Rahul Gandhi wrote, "In BJP-EC's 'Chor Baazar' (Thieves' Market) - the bigger the theft, the bigger the reward."
In the run-up to the State Assembly elections, the TMC and Congress had alleged that the ECI was working on the behest of the BJP in West Bengal. A stand-off between the TMC and the ECI over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll made several headlines.
The BJP's victory in the Assembly election in 2026, which recorded a sharp swing, was clearly a mandate to form government as it secured 206 seats against 77 seats it had won in the last Assembly election, out of the 294-member chamber.
Current Issue
Most Viewed
- 1 Talented Indian Female Actors Who Also Moonlight as Successful Producers
- 2 7 Indian Female Podcasters You Must Know About
- 3 7 Powerful Independent Indian Women Journalists Who are Voices of Change
- 4 Ruchikaa Kapoor Sheikh: The Creative Mind Behind Netflix India's Popular Shows
- 5 7 Most Influential Women Educators India has had over the Years
- 6 11 Breakthrough Female Faces Ruling the Indian OTT Platforms
- 7 8 Timeless Female Indian Classical Dancers & their Legacy
- 8 Women's Health Startup HerMD Closing Doors Amid Industry Challenges
- 9 Real Meets Reel: A List of 11 Indian Movies based on Real Women
- 10 Rasha Hassan: A Visionary Leader On A Mission To Transform Dubai's Real Estate Landscape
- 11 5 Indian Women-led IPOs You Must Know About
- 12 11 of the Most Iconic 21st Century Women to become "The First Indian Woman"
- 13 India's 7 Funniest Women Stand-Up Comics You Must Follow
- 14 Aparna Purohit : Leading India's Most Popular OTT Platforms
- 15 How Leaders Can Balance Risk & Innovation in Today's Banking Landscape
- 16 Dr. K. Shilpi Reddy: Sculpting Healthier Futures For The Next Generation With Reforms In Obstetrics Care
- 17 Sylvia Dcosta: A Visionary Business Leader Pushing The Limits And Setting High Professional Standards
- 18 Top 5 All-Rounder Women Cricketers of India
- 19 How Tata AIA is Empowering Women with Insurance That Understands Their Needs
