BJP Appoints Bengal Poll Chief As Chief Secretary, TMC Says “Open About Stealing The Election”

The newly formed BJP government in West Bengal, led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, has appointed the state's former Chief Election Officer Manoj Agarwal as the new Chief Secretary, triggering a fierce political confrontation with the Trinamool Congress. The government has also brought in retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta as Advisor to the Chief Minister, prompting the opposition to question the credibility of the recently concluded Assembly elections.

The appointments were announced on the same day Adhikari allocated portfolios among his ministers, drawing swift criticism from Trinamool leaders who alleged that the officials were being "rewarded" after overseeing the election process.

Trinamool Launches Sharp Attack Over Appointments

Trinamool Congress leaders reacted strongly to the appointments, accusing the BJP government and the Election Commission of compromising democratic neutrality.

Party leader Saket Gokhale described the move as "beyond shameless" and alleged that it exposed the relationship between the BJP and the Election Commission of India.

In a post on X, Gokhale said the appointments showed the BJP and the ECI were "being open about stealing the election" and questioned whether the courts were "blind or complicit".

Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien also reacted sarcastically, calling the development a "coincidence".

Rajya Sabha MP Sagarika Ghose further intensified the criticism, posting on X: "The so-called 'neutral umpire' is rewarded with the post of top bureaucrat of the BJP dispensation in Bengal. Does anyone still seriously believe #BengalElections2026 were free and fair? Outrageous and brazen."

BJP Defends Decision As "Merit-Based"

The BJP defended both appointments and rejected allegations made by the Trinamool Congress, saying the decisions were based on seniority and administrative merit.

In a statement, the West Bengal BJP unit said: "Unlike Mamata Banerjee, who had subverted the bureaucracy by blatantly flouting the rules governing the IAS by superseding dozens of officers, the BJP Government of West Bengal has appointed the senior most IAS officer working in the state, Shri Manoj Agarwal, as the Chief Secretary of West Bengal in keeping with its promise to restore the dignity of the laws of the land."

The party maintained that the appointments reflected its commitment to institutional governance and administrative discipline.

Who Are Manoj Agarwal And Subrata Gupta?

Manoj Agarwal is a 1990-batch IAS officer from the West Bengal cadre and an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. As Chief Election Officer, he supervised the recently concluded Assembly elections in the state and also oversaw parts of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Agarwal will replace outgoing Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala. Since he is due to retire in June, his initial tenure as Chief Secretary is expected to be brief.

Meanwhile, retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta, also from the 1990 batch, previously served as the Election Commission's Special Roll Observer during the SIR exercise ahead of the elections. He was appointed Advisor to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on May 9.

Poll Conduct Questions Return To Centre Stage

The Trinamool Congress had earlier raised objections against both Manoj Agarwal and Subrata Gupta during the election period, particularly over the handling of the SIR process and broader poll conduct issues.

With both officials now taking up senior positions under the new BJP-led government, the opposition has renewed its attack on the fairness and transparency of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, setting the stage for another political flashpoint in the state.