Election Commission asks Bengal to grant autonomy to its state election body.
New Delhi: In a move with major political implications ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the state government to immediately grant full autonomy to the State Election Commission (SEC). The directive aims to reduce political interference and ensure neutrality and transparency in the conduct of elections.
Sources in the Commission confirmed that an official letter has been sent to West Bengal’s Chief Secretary, calling for the SEC and the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office to be delinked from the state’s Home Department, which currently exercises administrative and financial control.
The ECI has also instructed the state to restructure the CEO’s office to function independently, especially concerning staffing, finances, and electoral logistics. “This move is intended to empower the SEC and CEO to function without interference,” said a senior ECI official. “It’s crucial for free and fair elections.”
Political analysts say the timing is significant, as the state grapples with controversies over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, which the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) opposes. TMC’s Kunal Ghosh called it “an administrative matter” but accused the BJP of manipulating institutions. CM Mamata Banerjee has threatened to “gherao” the EC if it proceeds with SIR.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari has renewed calls for a statewide SIR to weed out “infiltrators,” deepening the political divide ahead of the 2026 polls.
