In a major administrative overhaul, the West Bengal government on Monday transferred 17 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, including 10 District Magistrates, just hours before the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) announcement regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) for upcoming elections. The reshuffle affects key districts such as North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Murshidabad, Cooch Behar, Purulia, Darjeeling, Malda, Birbhum, Jhargram, and East Midnapore. The Commissioner of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation was also replaced, marking one of the most extensive bureaucratic shake-ups in recent years.

The timing of the reshuffle — coming just before the ECI’s SIR schedule for 2026 poll-bound states and one union territory — has raised eyebrows within bureaucratic and political circles. Officials noted that once the SIR begins, the state government will lose the authority to transfer officers holding electoral responsibilities. Since District Magistrates also serve as District Election Officers, these last-minute changes are seen as a strategic move to reassign control before the Election Commission’s supervision formally begins.

While the state government has officially termed the reshuffle a “routine administrative exercise,” sources suggest it may be aimed at consolidating control ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The newly appointed DMs are expected to oversee the district administration during the crucial pre-poll phase unless the ECI intervenes to make further transfers. Once the election schedule is announced, the administrative machinery will fall entirely under the ECI’s authority, allowing it to transfer or replace any state official to ensure neutrality during the electoral process.