TMC MP moves Cal HC over transfer of IAS, IPS officers by Election Commission

TMC MP and senior lawyer Kalyan Banerjee on Friday moved the Calcutta High Court questioning the Election Commission's transfer order of several IAS and IPS officers in West Bengal soon after the announcement of assembly polls in the state. The petitioner named Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar a party respondent in the matter. Mentioning the matter before a division bench presided by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, the lawyer prayed for an early hearing of the petition. The petition, which questions the transfers without consulting the state government before the EC took the decisions, is likely to be heard early next week, a lawyer connected with the matter said. A large number of senior IAS and IPS officers, including the state's chief secretary, home secretary and director general of police (DGP) were replaced by the Election Commission within hours of announcement of the assembly elections in West Bengal on March 15. The elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases - on April 23 and 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.