The Election Commission of India has ordered the immediate replacement of the officer-in-charge of Nandigram police station in East Midnapore, a day before voting in the Assembly bypoll, after opposition parties complained that the officer was close to the ruling party.
Ajay Kumar Mishra, who was serving as the inspector-in-charge, has been replaced by Debasish Sarkar, the officer-in-charge of the East Midnapore traffic control room. The order was issued on Monday, with polling scheduled in Nandigram and Rejinagar on Tuesday.
The Election Commission directed that the replacement be implemented immediately and that a compliance report be submitted by Monday evening. The Commission did not publicly disclose the reason for the sudden change, according to the report by Telegraph India, which cited the order and statements linked to the change.
Sarkar currently serves as the traffic inspector in Tamluk and is also the officer-in-charge of the Cyber Crime police station. When contacted, he said he had learnt about the change but had not yet received the formal order copy.
“I have just heard the news. I have not received the order copy yet. I was in Nandigram for traffic arrangements as Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari is scheduled to come here to cast his vote tomorrow. That is when I learnt about it,” Sarkar was quoted as saying.
Mishra had been posted as the officer-in-charge of Nandigram police station ahead of the 2026 Assembly elections. The station’s jurisdiction will now come under a new officer immediately before polling, placing the transition within the final operational phase of the bypoll process.
The timing of the change has drawn attention because the election is due to take place the following day. A police station officer-in-charge has responsibilities connected with local law and order, election-related arrangements and the handling of complaints within the station’s jurisdiction. The report does not specify whether any incident or breach of election rules prompted the Commission’s decision.
The Nandigram bypoll became necessary after Adhikari, who won the seat in the 2026 Assembly elections, retained the Bhabanipur constituency in south Kolkata and vacated Nandigram. Rejinagar also fell vacant after Humayun Kabir, who had won both Rejinagar and Naoda in the 2026 polls, retained Naoda and gave up Rejinagar.
Polling in both constituencies is scheduled for Tuesday, while counting is scheduled for October 9. The immediate implementation of the Commission’s order and submission of the compliance report are the next recorded steps in the change of charge at Nandigram police station.
