Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday (March 19) appointed Sanjay Mukherjee as the new Director General of Police (DGP) of West Bengal after it issued orders to remove Rajeev Kumar from the post.
Earlier on Monday, the poll panel had removed state DGP Rajeev Kumar and appointed IPS officer Vivek Sahay as the next DGP. Sahay was relieved from his position as West Bengal DGP in less than 24 hours of being appointed.
Sahay's appointment was made based on his seniority. However, since he is set to retire in the final week of May before the Lok Sabha elections conclude, the poll panel decided to appoint Mukherjee as the DGP, according to a senior official.
Mukherjee, a 1989-batch IPS officer, was the second person on the list of the three officers recommended by the West Bengal government for the post of DGP to the EC.
The poll panel directed the state to ensure immediate compliance and confirm the appointment by 5 pm on Tuesday.
The transfer of Rajeev Kumar follows his previous exclusion from active election management duties during the 2016 assembly elections and the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. Consequently, the EC instructed the state government to reassign Kumar to a non-election-related position and appoint a junior officer as the temporary DGP.
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