The Election Commission of India on 16 March 2026 ordered the immediate removal of West Bengal’s Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty and Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena, appointing Dushyant Nariala as the new Chief Secretary and Sanghamitra Ghosh as the new Home Secretary.
The reshuffle was implemented hours after the announcement of the West Bengal Assembly election schedule, with polling set for 23 and 29 April and counting on 4 May. The changes were directed to ensure administrative impartiality during the election period.
According to Deccan Herald, the Election Commission’s directive specified that the outgoing officers would not be assigned any election-related duties until the completion of the polls. The commission required a compliance report confirming the joining of the new officers by 3 pm on 16 March 2026.
Details provided indicate that the decision followed a review of the state’s poll preparedness. The reshuffle is described as unprecedented in West Bengal’s recent administrative history and was implemented to address concerns about impartiality and to strengthen the integrity of the election process.
The new Chief Secretary, Dushyant Nariala, is a 1993-batch IAS officer, while Sanghamitra Ghosh, appointed as Principal Secretary, Home and Hill Affairs, is from the 1997 batch. The commission’s communication, signed by Secretary Sujeet Kr Mishra, stated, “...the officers transferred out shall not be posted in any election-related posts till the completion of elections.”
The commission’s order emphasised, “Directions are to be implemented with immediate effect, and a report of the joining of the two officers in their respective offices by 3 pm on Monday is required.”
Coverage revealed that the reshuffle was announced late on Sunday, 15 March 2026, shortly after the poll schedule was made public. The outgoing Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakravorty, had been appointed to the post on 31 December 2025.
The Election Commission’s move came in the context of ongoing criticism from the ruling Trinamool Congress regarding the poll body’s actions in the state. Reporting indicated that the Commission stated the reshuffle was necessary to maintain neutrality and transparency in the administration during the election process.
In its official communication, the Election Commission underlined that the changes were to be enforced with immediate effect. Further information confirmed that the officers removed would not be posted in any election-related positions until the conclusion of the electoral process.
One official statement clarified, “This decision was taken to ensure that the election process remains free from influence and is conducted in a fair and transparent manner.”
Assembly elections in West Bengal will be conducted in two phases, with the first phase of notification on 30 March and the second on 2 April. Analysis showed that the political stakes are high, with the BJP aiming to challenge the incumbent Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee.
The Election Commission’s reshuffle of senior bureaucrats is seen as a significant administrative intervention ahead of the high-stakes assembly elections. The commission has reiterated its commitment to upholding the principles of impartiality and transparency throughout the electoral process as details emerged.
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