In what could be an embarrassment for a senior IPS officer, the Election Commission of India removed the West Bengal DGP Virendra from his post.
Another IPS officer, P Nirajnayan, has been appointed as the new DGP.
The commission noted the decision was taken “after reviewing the situation of poll preparedness in the State of West Bengal”. It has also directed the administration not to assign any poll duty to Virendra.
P Nirajnayan is two years junior to Virendra.
The voting for the 294 seats of the West Bengal assembly is spread over eight phases, starting March 27. The counting of votes will start on May 2.
Earlier, the Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora had said the reason for spreading the voting over eight phases was the hooliganism and lawlessness in the state.
The voting for the last assembly election in West Bengal in 2016 was spread over seven phases.
But, all the opposition parties in West Bengal demanded that the voting be spread over eight phases this time. The Election Commission officials concurred.
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