NEW DELHI: Days after conceding a significant defeat in West Bengal, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress has launched a pointy assault on the newly fashioned BJP authorities within the state over the appointment of former chief electoral officer Manoj Agarwal as chief secretary. The opposition occasion termed the transfer “shameless” and questioned the neutrality of the election course of.The TMC highlighted that Agarwal, who oversaw the not too long ago concluded meeting elections in West Bengal because the Election Fee’s high state official, has now been appointed to the very best bureaucratic put up within the BJP-led state authorities.Trinamool Congress chief Saket Gokhale wrote on X: “Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Aggarwal, who carried out the West Bengal election for the EC, has been appointed chief secretary of Bengal by the brand new BJP Govt.“BJP & ECI are actually being open about stealing the election.“Are the courts BLIND or COMPLICIT? That is past shameless.”The announcement was made after the primary cupboard assembly of the Suvendu Adhikari-led authorities in West Bengal.Agarwal’s appointment got here simply 48 hours after particular election observer Subrata Gupta was named adviser to the chief minister.Apparently, Manoj Agarwal had initially been chosen as West Bengal’s chief electoral officer by the Election Fee from a panel despatched by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress authorities.Hypothesis over his new function intensified on Monday after Agarwal was seen seated beside chief minister Adhikari, with Nariala on his left, throughout the BJP authorities’s cupboard assembly at Nabanna.The Trinamool Congress, which had repeatedly clashed with Agarwal throughout the meeting polls, together with a public spat on X between him and former finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya, reacted sharply to the appointment.TMC MP Sagarika Ghose posted on X: “The so-called ‘impartial umpire’ is rewarded with the put up of high bureaucrat of the BJP dispensation in Bengal. Does anybody nonetheless significantly imagine the 2026 Bengal elections had been free and truthful? Outrageous and brazen.”The BJP defended the choice, saying it had appointed the senior-most IAS officer and, not like Mamata Banerjee, had adopted service guidelines.A 1990-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, Manoj Agarwal is because of retire on July 31. Nonetheless, sources indicated that he might obtain at the very least a six-month extension, topic to a suggestion from the state authorities and approval by the Centre.West Bengal has precedent for such extensions. Former chief secretaries Samar Ghosh, Hari Krishna Dwivedi, BP Gopalika and Manoj Pant continued in workplace even after turning 60. Ghosh, who was appointed throughout the Left Entrance period, later grew to become Mamata Banerjee’s first chief secretary in 2011.A mechanical engineering graduate, Agarwal has held a number of key administrative positions throughout his profession. He started as ADM of Burdwan and later served as principal secretary in departments together with personnel and administrative reforms, meals and provides, and fireplace and emergency providers.In June 2024, he was appointed extra chief secretary of the forest division earlier than turning into chief electoral officer ten months later.Beneath Agarwal’s tenure as CEO, the meeting elections in West Bengal had been carried out largely peacefully. Sources stated chief election commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had counseled him for overseeing the polls easily.His appointment additionally comes forward of the Could 21 Falta bypoll.
