Rahul Gandhi Criticizes West Bengal Government Appointments as Evidence of BJP-EC Collusion
In BJP-ECI's 'chor bazaar', bigger the theft, bigger the reward: Rahul's on WB Government appointments
The Hindu
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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the West Bengal government's recent appointments of Manoj Agarwal as Chief Secretary and Subrata Gupta as Chief Advisor, alleging that they exemplify collusion between the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI). He claimed that such actions reward misconduct rather than uphold electoral integrity.
- 01Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP and ECI of collusion in recent appointments in West Bengal.
- 02Manoj Agarwal was appointed Chief Secretary, and Subrata Gupta became Chief Advisor to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari.
- 03The Congress party claims the appointments reflect a lack of impartiality from the Election Commission.
- 04Gandhi highlighted that 27 lakh voters were barred from participating in elections, benefiting the BJP.
- 05The reshuffle included two IAS officers and several WBCS officers in the Chief Minister's office.
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On May 12, 2026, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi criticized the West Bengal government's appointments of Manoj Agarwal as Chief Secretary and Subrata Gupta as Chief Advisor, alleging they demonstrate collusion between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Election Commission of India (ECI). Gandhi referred to the situation as a 'chor bazaar', suggesting that misconduct is rewarded rather than punished. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh echoed these sentiments, stating that the appointments indicate a blatant lack of impartiality from the ECI. He pointed out that Agarwal, a 1990-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer, oversaw the recent Assembly elections, during which approximately 27 lakh voters were barred from voting, creating an electoral advantage for the BJP. The reshuffle also included the appointment of seven West Bengal Civil Service (WBCS) officers in the Chief Minister's office, further raising concerns about the integrity of the electoral process in the state.
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These appointments could undermine public trust in the electoral process in West Bengal, raising concerns among voters about the fairness of future elections.
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