New Delhi/Kolkata:
The Election Commission has rejected a face-saver formula suggested by the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, making it clear that it must transfer eight officials in the state by 10 am tomorrow morning and replace them with those that the panel has chosen.
Election Commission officials also rebutted Ms Banerjee's claim that her government was not consulted on the replacement of the officers. Sources in the commission told NDTV that in a recent meeting, the Chief Election Commissioner had discussed this issue with the Chief Secretary.
After refusing yesterday to comply with the commission's order to transfer five superintendents of police, one district magistrate and two additional district magistrates, the West Bengal government appeared to climb down earlier today, agreeing to the transfer, but seeking that they be replaced with officials of its choice.
The tone of compromise was very different from the one struck by a furious Ms Banerjee on Monday when she said, "I challenge the Election Commission to remove anybody while I am in charge."
She argued that poll panel could not transfer officers and name new ones without consulting her government and said, "You will only listen to the Congress...to make the Congress win, BJP win. You will have to take my resignation. I will not remove a single officer, not while I am Chief Minister. Do what you like."
Today, the West Bengal chief secretary reportedly wrote to the Election Commission requesting that it reconsider its decision on the transfers. He also reportedly listed names of officials in his letter and requested the poll panel to choose replacements from them if it insisted on the transfers.
Sources said the West Bengal government's list does not include officials that the Election Commission has picked as replacements.
Election Commission sources have pointed out that it has the option of cancelling or postponing polls in certain West Bengal constituencies if the state government does not comply with its order.
"The EC's mandate is to conduct free and fair elections... If the officials are not transferred then polls can be cancelled or postponed in those constituencies," a senior official said on Tuesday morning.
The commission has ordered the transfer of these officials to ensure free and fair elections in West Bengal, it said, after receiving complaints against them.
West Bengal begins polling from April 17 in five phases.