Kolkata, April 17 (IANS) In a late evening development on Friday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the suspension of three booth-level officers (BLOs) engaged in electoral duties for the forthcoming two-phase assembly elections in West Bengal later this month.​

The ECI also directed the state administration to initiate departmental proceedings against the five BLOs concerned and register first information reports (FIRs) against them.​

The three BLOs against whom the Commission directed disciplinary proceedings include Tapan Kumar Saha, Avijit Dey, and Kumarjit Dutta, all from the North 24 Parganas district.​

The charges against them were direct involvement in campaigns for the ruling Trinamool Congress, which violated the Commission’s guidelines barring electoral officers from engaging in any political activities on behalf of any political party.​

Earlier, all three were served with show-cause notices. While the Commission was not satisfied with Saha’s and Dey’s replies, Dutta refused to accept the notice, following which disciplinary proceedings were ordered.​

On Friday night, the ECI also ordered the removal of the Commissioner of Bidhannagar City Police, Murli Dhar Sharma, and appointed Tripurari Atharva in his place. The latter was directed to take up the new assignment by 11 a.m. on Saturday.​

Earlier, the Commission had ordered that Sharma be sent to Tamil Nadu as a police observer. Later, the ECI stayed the order, and Sharma remained as the Bidhannagar Police Commissioner. However, the old order was maintained for the 13 other Indian Police Service (IPS) officers given similar marching orders to Tamil Nadu and Kerala.​

The two-phase assembly polls in West Bengal will be held on April 23 and April 29. Counting and results will be declared on May 4.​

–IANS

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