NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission following the appointment of former Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal as West Bengal’s Chief Secretary by the newly formed government under Suvendu Adhikari. Gandhi expressed his concerns on social media platform X, stating, “In the BJP-EC’s ‘chor bazaar’ – the bigger the theft, the bigger the reward.”
This appointment occurred shortly after the BJP took control of West Bengal for the first time, ending Mamata Banerjee’s 15-year leadership in the state. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which is now in opposition, also condemned Agarwal’s selection, labeling it “shameless” and questioning the integrity of the electoral process. TMC leaders noted that Agarwal had overseen the recent assembly elections in West Bengal as the Election Commission’s chief representative before his current appointment.
TMC leader Saket Gokhale commented on X: “Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, who conducted the West Bengal election for the EC, has been appointed chief secretary of Bengal by the new BJP government. BJP & ECI are now being open about stealing the election. Are the courts BLIND or COMPLICIT? This is beyond shameless.”
The announcement of Agarwal’s appointment came after the first cabinet meeting of Adhikari’s government. It was made just 48 hours following the appointment of special election observer Subrata Gupta as an adviser to the Chief Minister. Interestingly, Agarwal was initially selected as West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer from a panel presented by the previous TMC-led government.
Speculation about his new role heightened when he was seen seated next to Chief Minister Adhikari during the cabinet meeting at Nabanna. The TMC, which had contentious interactions with Agarwal throughout the assembly elections, strongly criticized the decision. TMC MP Sagarika Ghose remarked 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 the 2026 Bengal elections were free and fair? Outrageous and brazen.”
The BJP defended Agarwal’s appointment, asserting that it appointed the most senior Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and complied with service regulations, contrasting their actions with those of Mamata Banerjee’s administration. Manoj Agarwal, a 1990-batch IAS officer from the West Bengal cadre, is expected to retire on July 31. However, sources indicated he may receive at least a six-month extension pending state government approval and Centre endorsement.
West Bengal has a history of granting such extensions. Previous chiefs, including Samar Ghosh, Hari Krishna Dwivedi, BP Gopalika, and Manoj Pant, continued in their roles beyond retirement age. Ghosh was initially appointed during the Left Front era and became Mamata Banerjee’s first Chief Secretary in 2011.
Having begun his career as the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) of Burdwan, Agarwal has held various key administrative roles, including principal secretary in several departments. He transitioned to the position of Chief Electoral Officer after serving as additional chief secretary of the forest department for nearly a year. Under his management, the assembly elections in West Bengal were largely peaceful, with Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar commending his oversight of the electoral process. His appointment arrives in anticipation of the May 21 by-election in Falta.
