EC orders Bengal CEO office to function independently ahead of 2026 polls

The Election Commission of India has instructed the West Bengal government to make the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office function as an independent unit, separate from state administrative control. A formal letter has been sent to Nabanna, the state secretariat, addressing the Chief Secretary. The Commission has made it clear that the CEO office should not remain under the jurisdiction of the Home Department, as it currently is.

According to the Commission, the CEO office must be freed from financial and administrative dependence on the state government. The directive comes ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections. The Commission is working to implement this structural change before the polls to ensure that election-related work, including appointments and reporting, is conducted in a streamlined manner. The current setup has raised concerns over operational independence.

The Commission has pointed out that as long as the CEO’s office is state-controlled, the impartiality of processes such as employee deployment and the issuance of State Information Reports (SIRs) can be questioned. By making the CEO office an autonomous entity, election duties and reporting are expected to proceed without delays or administrative interference.