Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari. | Photo credit: ANI
The TMC on Friday (April 3, 2026) sought the immediate recall of the returning officer for Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in West Bengal, alleging that he is close to BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari.
In a statement submitted to West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the ruling party objected to the appointment of an RO for Bhabanipur seat in South Kolkata.
The party claimed that the returning officer has “documented and close links” with senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, who is contesting from Bhabanipur against Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee.
Mr. Adhikari is also in the election fray from Nandigram in Purba Medinipur district.
According to the complaint, the RO had earlier served as Block Development Officer in Nandigram-II where his closeness to Mr. Adhikari was allegedly visible in public procurement.
The TMC argued that such an association creates a “reasonable apprehension of bias” and “compromises the neutrality” required for the conduct of elections.
The party also questioned the RO’s current position as the additional director of land records, saying that this position is usually held by senior officers.
The TMC claimed that his appointment to the post, especially ahead of the elections, raised concerns of “preferential and motivated deployment”.
Emphasizing the critical role of the returning officer, the TMC said the officer is responsible for key election processes, including scrutiny of nominations, conducting polls and declaration of results, and therefore must be “integrity neutral”.
Citing Article 324 of the Constitution and the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, the Trinamool Congress argued that the Election Commission is bound to ensure a free and fair poll by appointing officials without any perceived bias.
The party also referred to the Model Code of Conduct, which mandates administrative neutrality, and argued that the continuation of the RO violated those principles.
The TMC office noted that the Election Commission had earlier sought a panel of three alternate state government officials based on a complaint filed on March 24.
While the state has complied, no decision has yet been taken to replace the RO, claimed a letter signed by senior TMC leaders Shashi Panja, Aroop Biswas, Baiswanor Chattopadhyay.
The Trinamool Congress called the situation “constitutionally unsustainable” and “electorally dangerous” and called on the Election Commission to take “immediate, reasoned and transparent measures to ensure the integrity of the election process”.
Published – 04 Apr 2026 08:27 IST
