A petition has been submitted to the Supreme Court of India seeking the urgent removal of IPS Ajay Pal Sharma from his position as police observer in South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, ahead of the upcoming elections. The petition alleges that Sharma, known for his controversial reputation as an 'encounter specialist' due to his past security operations in Uttar Pradesh, has acted in a highly partisan manner since his appointment. It claims he has engaged in intimidation tactics and exerted undue influence over political candidates. This situation has intensified political tensions, particularly between the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While the BJP and the Election Commission of India (ECI) assert that Sharma's deployment is aimed at ensuring free and fair voting, the TMC and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav have accused the BJP of attempting to manipulate the electoral process by deploying agents to intimidate voters.