India, July 26 -- Election Commission asks Bengal to grant autonomy to its state election body.
New Delhi: In a move with major political implications ahead of the 2026 West Bengal Assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the state government to immediately grant full autonomy to the State Election Commission (SEC). The directive aims to reduce political interference and ensure neutrality and transparency in the conduct of elections.
Sources in the Commission confirmed that an official letter has been sent to West Bengal's Chief Secretary, calling for the SEC and the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office to be delinked from the state's Home Department, which currently exercises administrative and financial ...