Amid preparations for the West Bengal Assembly election, the Election Commission (EC) has taken strict action against the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Hanskhali in Nadia district. Sayantan Bhattacharya has been placed under immediate suspension following an incident in which a teacher was allegedly assaulted during an election training camp on March 27.
The Commission has also directed the state administration to initiate a departmental inquiry against the officer, citing serious lapses in maintaining order and adherence to election protocols.
The incident occurred during a training session for Presiding and Polling Officers at Ranaghat Debnath Institution. According to reports, chaos broke out at the venue, leading to injuries to a teacher, Saikat Chatterjee, who reportedly sustained head injuries and was hospitalised. An FIR has been lodged at Ranaghat Police Station in connection with the matter.
In its official communication, the EC held the Hanskhali BDO directly responsible for the conduct of the training programme. It noted that he failed to ensure discipline and did not enforce the guidelines laid down for such sessions, terming his conduct as “extreme negligence” and a lack of seriousness in duty. The Commission further described the incident as a setback to its efforts to ensure free and fair elections.
The controversy deepened after allegations emerged that videos highlighting state government development projects were screened at the training venue. Some attendees claimed that objections were raised on the grounds that such screenings violated the Model Code of Conduct. According to Chatterjee, tensions escalated after these objections, ultimately leading to the alleged assault.
Several colleagues of the injured teacher supported his claims, alleging that the situation turned volatile shortly after the objections were made. However, the BDO has denied any incident of physical assault, while admitting that there was some commotion during the session.
Taking a stern view, the EC has instructed the State Chief Secretary to enforce the suspension order immediately and begin disciplinary proceedings. A compliance report has been sought within a strict deadline, underscoring the Commission’s zero-tolerance approach to any disruption in the electoral process.
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