Bengal's Battle with the Ballot Body: State Slams EC Over Home Secy's Observer Role

It seems the pre-election skirmishes between the West Bengal government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) are heating up, once again. In a rather unusual turn of events, the state government has found itself pushing back hard against the ECI's decision to include its very own Home Secretary, B P Gopalika, in the prestigious list of central observers for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. And make no mistake, Kolkata isn't holding back on its displeasure, labeling the move as nothing short of an 'unprecedented misadventure'.

The core of the issue, you see, is quite straightforward in the state's eyes: a serving state government official simply cannot, and by all established norms, should not, be appointed as a central observer for elections, even if it's in another state. This, the Trinamool Congress-led administration argues, goes against every established rule and precedent concerning the conduct of elections. It's a fundamental principle, really, that such observers should maintain a certain degree of detachment and not be active members of any state's administration while fulfilling such a crucial role.

In fact, the Chief Secretary of West Bengal, in a rather firm letter dispatched to the Election Commission, underscored these concerns. The letter clearly requested the ECI to reconsider its decision and, quite importantly, to strike Gopalika's name from the list. The state views this particular appointment not just as an administrative anomaly but, perhaps, as an attempt to undermine both the officer and the state government he serves. It’s a situation, one might argue, that further strains the already tense relationship between the state and the central poll body.

Now, to truly understand the backdrop here, we need a little context. This isn't the first time B P Gopalika has found himself at the center of a tug-of-war between the ECI and the West Bengal government. Remember, not too long ago, the Election Commission had actually removed him from his post as ADG (Law and Order) and later as Home Secretary, citing alleged lapses in duty concerning law and order ahead of electoral processes. However, the state government, standing its ground, reinstated him as the Home Secretary. So, one could certainly see how his subsequent inclusion in a list of central observers might feel like a pointed, if not slightly provocative, move to the state authorities.

For West Bengal, this isn't just about one officer; it's a matter of principle, state autonomy, and, frankly, what they perceive as fair play in the electoral process. They are, quite rightly, demanding that the ECI adheres to established conventions and ensures that the election machinery operates without even a hint of perceived bias or internal conflict of interest. As the Lok Sabha elections draw nearer, such disputes only highlight the deep-seated political friction and the meticulous scrutiny under which every decision by the Election Commission is being placed.