A day after announcement of the poll schedule for West Bengal, the Election Commission on Monday removed Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravorty, Home Secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena, DGP Peeyush Pandey and Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar stating that they would not be given poll-related assignments. The poll panel said the decision was taken following a review of the poll preparedness of the state.

The Trinamool Congress called the EC’s reshuffle a “panic reaction by a party that realises it cannot win elections through democratic means”, while the opposition BJP and CPI(M) hailed the rejig as a “step towards free and fair polls”.