EC transfers in poll-bound West Bengal won’t change outcome: Omar Abdullah

Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday launched a sharp attack on the Election Commission of India, alleging that its actions in poll-bound West Bengal amount to “gerrymandering” but will ultimately have no impact on the election outcome.

Expressing strong confidence in the ruling All India Trinamool Congress, Abdullah asserted that the party would return to power with a decisive mandate. “No amount of effort by the Election Commission to gerrymander will change the results. Come counting day, Mamata Didi will win a thumping majority,” he wrote in a post on X.

Weighing in on the large-scale administrative reshuffle ordered by the poll panel, Abdullah criticised what he described as a pattern in opposition-ruled states. “These sweeping transfers only happen in non-BJP ruled states, especially in West Bengal, but that’s no surprise,” he said, suggesting a political bias in the exercise.

He, however, downplayed the potential impact of such moves, remarking that electoral outcomes are determined by political leadership rather than bureaucratic changes. “Officers don’t win elections for political parties, the leaders of political parties do,” he added.

The Election Commission had recently ordered the transfer of several top officials in the state following the announcement of the assembly poll schedule. Those moved include chief secretary Nandini Chakravorty, home secretary Jagdish Prasad Meena, while director general of police Peeyush Pandey and Kolkata Police commissioner Supratim Sarkar were removed from their posts.

The West Bengal assembly elections are scheduled to be held in two phases — on 23 April and 29 April — with the counting of votes set for 4 May.

With PTI inputs