- TMC criticizes BJP government’s appointment of former CEO as chief secretary.
- Manoj Kumar Agarwal, former CEO, appointed West Bengal chief secretary.
- TMC leaders allege bias, question election fairness post-appointment.
- BJP defends decision, citing adherence to established administrative norms.
The Trinamool Congress has slammed the newly formed BJP government in West Bengal over the appointed of former West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal as the state’s new chief secretary. This move by the Suvendu Adhikari government has triggered sharp political reactions days after the Assembly elections concluded.
Agarwal, a 1990-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, oversaw the recently concluded Assembly elections in his role as the state’s chief electoral officer. His tenure as CEO was scheduled to end on July 31.
The West Bengal government announced the appointment through an official order issued on May 11, 2026. The notification stated that Agarwal would assume charge with immediate effect and continue in the role until further orders.
Trinamool Leaders Launch Sharp Attack
Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Saket Gokhale criticised the appointment and described it as “beyond shameless” in a post on X.
He alleged that the development showed the BJP and the Election Commission of India were “being open about stealing the election” and questioned whether the courts were “blind or complicit”.
Party MP Sagarika Ghose also attacked the decision, saying the “so-called neutral umpire” had been rewarded with the top bureaucratic post under what she called the BJP dispensation in Bengal. She further questioned whether the 2026 Bengal Assembly elections could still be viewed as free and fair.
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Derek O’Brien Takes Sarcastic Swipe
Senior Trinamool Congress leader Derek O’Brien also reacted to the appointment with sarcasm, calling it a “coincidence”.
The comments from Trinamool leaders reflected the party’s growing anger over the appointment and its timing. Several leaders used social media platforms to suggest that the move raised concerns about institutional neutrality during the election process.
Their criticism added a fresh political dimension to the already tense atmosphere following the Assembly elections in the state.
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BJP Defends Decision, Calls It Rule-Based
Responding to the criticism, the West Bengal BJP defended the appointment and said the government had followed established norms in selecting the state’s senior-most IAS officer.
In a statement, the party said that unlike Mamata Banerjee, who it alleged had previously undermined bureaucratic norms by superseding multiple officers, the BJP government had restored “the dignity of the laws of the land”.
The BJP also stated that Manoj Kumar Agarwal’s appointment as chief secretary was consistent with its promise to uphold administrative propriety and institutional processes.
