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NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha person of absorption Rahul Gandhi connected Tuesday launched a crisp onslaught connected the BJP and the Election Commission aft the recently formed West Bengal authorities nether Suvendu Adhikari appointed erstwhile main electoral serviceman Manoj Agarwal arsenic the state’s main secretary.Taking a swipe astatine some the BJP and the Election Commission, Rahul Gandhi posted connected X: “In the BJP-EC's 'chor bazaar' – the bigger the theft, the bigger the reward.”The determination by the Suvendu Adhikari-led authorities came conscionable days aft the BJP assumed powerfulness successful West Bengal for the archetypal time, ending Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year regularisation successful the state.The Didi-led Trinamool Congress, present successful opposition, besides powerfully criticised Agarwal’s assignment to the apical bureaucratic post.
The enactment termed the determination “shameless” and questioned the neutrality of the predetermination process.TMC leaders pointed retired that Agarwal had overseen the precocious concluded assembly elections successful West Bengal arsenic the Election Commission’s apical authoritative successful the authorities earlier being appointed main caput by the BJP government.Trinamool Congress person Saket Gokhale wrote connected X: “Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Aggarwal, who conducted the West Bengal predetermination for the EC, has been appointed main caput of Bengal by the caller BJP Govt.
“BJP & ECI are present being unfastened astir stealing the election.“Are the courts BLIND oregon COMPLICIT? This is beyond shameless.”The announcement was made aft the archetypal furniture gathering of the Suvendu Adhikari-led authorities successful West Bengal. Agarwal’s assignment came conscionable 48 hours aft peculiar predetermination perceiver Subrata Gupta was named advisor to the main minister.Interestingly, Manoj Agarwal had primitively been selected arsenic West Bengal’s main electoral serviceman by the Election Commission from a sheet sent by the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government.Speculation implicit his caller relation intensified connected Monday aft Agarwal was seen seated beside main curate Adhikari, with Nariala connected his left, during the BJP government’s furniture gathering astatine Nabanna.The Trinamool Congress, which had repeatedly clashed with Agarwal during the Assembly elections — including a nationalist spat connected X betwixt him and erstwhile concern curate Chandrima Bhattacharya — reacted sharply to the development.TMC MP
Sagarika Ghose
posted connected X: “The alleged ‘neutral umpire’ is rewarded with the station of apical bureaucrat of the BJP dispensation successful Bengal. Does anyone inactive earnestly judge the 2026 Bengal elections were escaped and fair? Outrageous and brazen.”The BJP defended the move, saying it had appointed the senior-most IAS serviceman and, dissimilar Mamata Banerjee, had followed work rules.A 1990-batch IAS serviceman of the West Bengal cadre, Manoj Agarwal is owed to discontinue connected July 31.
However, sources indicated that helium could person astatine slightest a six-month extension, taxable to a proposal by the authorities authorities and support from the Centre.West Bengal has precedent for specified extensions. Former main secretaries Samar Ghosh, Hari Krishna Dwivedi, BP Gopalika and Manoj Pant continued successful bureau adjacent aft turning 60. Ghosh, appointed during the Left Front era, aboriginal became Mamata Banerjee’s archetypal main caput successful 2011.A mechanical engineering graduate, Agarwal has held respective cardinal administrative positions during his career. He began arsenic ADM of Burdwan and aboriginal served arsenic main caput successful departments including unit and administrative reforms, nutrient and supplies, and occurrence and exigency services.In June 2024, helium became further main caput of the wood section earlier being appointed main electoral serviceman 10 months later.Under Agarwal’s tenure arsenic CEO, the Assembly elections successful West Bengal were conducted mostly peacefully. Sources said Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar had commended him for overseeing the polls smoothly.His assignment besides comes up of the May 21 Falta bypoll.
