KOLKATA: Hours after the CPI(M)-led Left Front managed to win only Taher Municipality, one out of the 108 civic bodies where elections were held in West Bengal, the officer-in-charge (OC) of the local police station was removed by the Nadia district administration.
While the CPI(M) and the Congress alleged that it was a punishment for the OC, Abhijit Ghosh, as he acted neutrally and allowed people to vote freely during the election on February 27, a government official said it was a routine transfer and there was nothing political about it.
The transfer order was issued on Wednesday night, hours after the results of the municipal elections were declared.
Ghosh was replaced by Amitosh Roy, who was the in-charge of Dhantala police station of the same district, the official said.
The Left Front retained the Taherpur Municipality.
Out of the 13 seats, Left parties bagged eight and the Trinamool Congress five.
"There is no political influence behind Ghosh's transfer. It's a routine one. The decision of the transfer was taken before the elections and we were waiting for the poll process to be over. So, once the election results were out yesterday, the transfer order was issued," the official in the state home department said.
Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury claimed that the Taherpur police station officer was removed because he had acted neutrally and allowed people to vote.
"Those police officers who did not allow people to vote will be promoted," Chowdhury, also the state Congress president, said.
Local CPI(M) leaders also echoed him.
Out of the 108 municipalities, 102 were won by the TMC while CPI(M) bagged Taherpur and a newly formed outfit Hamro Party came to power in the Darjeeling civic body.
Four municipalities have hung board.