NEW DELHI: Following a significant defeat in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress (TMC), led by Mamata Banerjee, has sharply criticized the newly established BJP government over its appointment of former Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal as chief secretary. The party labeled the decision as “shameless” and raised concerns regarding the impartiality of the electoral process.
The TMC pointed out that Agarwal, who managed the recent assembly elections in West Bengal as the state’s top election official, has now assumed one of the highest administrative roles in the BJP-led government. TMC leader Saket Gokhale expressed his dismay on X, stating, “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.”
This announcement followed the initial cabinet meeting of the government led by Suvendu Adhikari. Agarwal’s appointment occurred just 48 hours after special election observer Subrata Gupta was named advisor to the chief minister. Notably, Manoj Agarwal was originally selected as West Bengal’s chief electoral officer from a panel submitted by the previous TMC government.
Speculation regarding his new appointment grew when Agarwal was seen seated next to Chief Minister Adhikari during the cabinet meeting at Nabanna. The TMC, which had several confrontations with Agarwal during the assembly elections—including a public disagreement between him and former finance minister Chandrima Bhattacharya—responded vehemently to the appointment. TMC MP Sagarika Ghose commented 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.”
In defense of its decision, the BJP stated that it had appointed the senior-most IAS officer and that it adhered to service rules, contrasting its approach with that of Mamata Banerjee. Agarwal, a 1990-batch IAS officer from the West Bengal cadre, is set to retire on July 31; however, sources suggest he may receive at least a six-month extension subject to state government recommendation and central government approval.
West Bengal has seen precedents for such extensions, as previous chief secretaries like Samar Ghosh and Hari Krishna Dwivedi continued in their roles even after reaching retirement age. Agarwal, a mechanical engineering graduate, has held various crucial administrative positions throughout his career, beginning as ADM of Burdwan and later serving as principal secretary in several departments, including personnel and administrative reforms and food supplies.
In June 2024, Agarwal became the additional chief secretary of the forest department before being appointed chief electoral officer ten months later. During his tenure as CEO, the assembly elections in West Bengal were executed largely without incident, with sources noting that Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar commended him for the smooth conduct of the polls. His appointment coincides with the upcoming May 21 Falta by-election.
