KOLKATA — Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission of India (ECI), accusing it of "apparent bias" and "serious overreach" following the overnight transfer of West Bengal’s top bureaucrats and police officers.

The "Emergency" Warning

In a strongly worded letter to CEC Gyanesh Kumar on March 20, 2026, Banerjee alleged:

• Unilateral Transfers: The removal of the Chief Secretary, DGP, and multiple District Magistrates without "cogent reasons" or Model Code violations.
• Governance Risks: A warning that stripping the state of veteran leadership during the storm-prone months of March and April could paralyze disaster response.
• Indirect Central Rule: The CM cautioned that the ECI's actions are creating a state of "emergency," undermining the spirit of cooperative federalism.

Poll Timeline

As the state government moves the Supreme Court over these administrative shifts, the 294-member Assembly heads toward a high-stakes two-phase election:

• Phase 1: April 23
• Phase 2: April 29
• Counting Day: May 4

Banerjee urged the poll panel to reconsider its "hasty and unilateral" decisions, asserting that such moves do not augur well for a healthy democracy.