EC suspends Naihati IC after TMC candidate arrives in police car to file nomination

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken a stern disciplinary action by suspending Mahavir Bera, the Inspector-in-Charge (IC) of Naihati Police Station, following a blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The suspension was triggered after visual evidence surfaced showing Ashok Chatterjee, the Chairman of Naihati Municipality and a prominent Trinamool Congress (TMC) leader, arriving at the Barrackpore Sub-Divisional Administrator’s office in an official police vehicle to file nomination papers for the 2026 Assembly Elections.

The incident occurred on Monday, the final day for filing nominations for the first phase of the West Bengal polls. Chatterjee was accompanying the TMC candidate for Naihati, Sanat Dey, when he reportedly bypassed his private vehicle to ride in the car belonging to IC Mahavir Bera. The sight of a political leader using a vehicle from the Barrackpore Police Commissionerate for electoral formalities sparked immediate outrage and led to a heated political debate regarding the impartiality of the state police.

BJP leader Arjun Singh intensified the pressure by sharing videos of the incident on social media, accusing the local administration of being hand-in-glove with the ruling party. Singh remarked that while the Election Commission is striving for neutral policing, "habits remain habits," implying a deep-seated bias within the Bengal police force. Following a formal complaint lodged by the BJP, the Commission moved swiftly to suspend Bera to maintain the integrity of the democratic process.