Kolkata, Oct 16
The Election Commission of India has directed the immediate replacement of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) for 79 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal as their selections have violated the ECI-mandated criteria.
A communication on this count has already been sent to the West Bengal government to nominate names of those state government officers who match the criteria for being selected as EROs.
As per the ECI-mandated criteria, West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) cadre officials in the ranks of sub-divisional magistrates, sub-divisional officers and rural development officers can only be considered for selection as EROs.
However, an insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that ECI had noted that for these 78 constituencies, state civil service cadre officers below the mandated ranks have been selected, and hence the Commission had directed their replacements.