Just days after the BJP formed its first government in West Bengal under Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, senior IAS officer Manoj Agarwal has been appointed as the state’s new chief secretary. The move, announced after the new government’s first cabinet meeting at Nabanna, has quickly turned into a political flashpoint because Agarwal recently supervised the Assembly elections in the state as West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer.
Opposition parties, especially the Trinamool Congress and Congress, have questioned the appointment and linked it to the conduct of the recently concluded elections, while the BJP has defended the decision by calling Agarwal the senior-most eligible officer under service rules.
Who is Manoj Agarwal?
Agarwal is a 1990-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre and an alumnus of the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. Over the years, he has held several important positions in the West Bengal government and at the Centre.
The 60-year-old bureaucrat handled departments such as Personnel and Administrative Reforms, Food, Fire and Emergency Services, and Forest. Officials familiar with his career describe him as a low-profile administrator who worked on both governance and infrastructure projects.
One of his major assignments came when he served as chairman of the State Highways Authority. During that period, he oversaw planning for the elevated corridor over Kona Expressway, a major road project aimed at reducing congestion and improving connectivity to Kolkata port.
Kona Expressway connects Kolkata with Delhi-bound National Highway 19 and NH-16 that links towards Mumbai.
The COVID-era decision that reportedly upset TMC leaders
Agarwal also attracted attention during the COVID-19 pandemic when he was Principal Secretary of the state Food and Supplies Department.
At that time, he reportedly directed that food coupons distributed through the Public Distribution System should be handled by government officers instead of political representatives. According to officials, the move allegedly did not go down well with sections of the then ruling Trinamool Congress leadership.
Soon after, he was shifted to the forest department before later returning to one of the most sensitive positions in the state administration — Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal.
Why is the opposition criticising his appointment?
The controversy largely centres around Agarwal’s role during the recently concluded Assembly elections in West Bengal.
As Chief Electoral Officer, he supervised the Election Commission-mandated SIR exercise in the run-up to the polls. During that process, around 91 lakh voters were removed from the electoral rolls.
The BJP defended the exercise as an “essential electoral roll clean-up drive”, while the Trinamool Congress repeatedly accused the BJP and Election Commission of trying to “disenfranchise legitimate voters”.
Now, with Agarwal moving directly from the Election Commission’s top state role to the highest bureaucratic post in the BJP-led government, opposition parties have alleged political favouritism.
TMC leader Saket Gokhale wrote on X: “Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Aggarwal, who conducted the West Bengal election for the EC, has been appointed chief secretary of Bengal by the new BJP Govt.
“BJP & ECI are now being open about stealing the election.
“Are the courts BLIND or COMPLICIT? This is beyond shameless.”
TMC MP Sagarika Ghose also criticised the decision and posted on X: “The so-called ‘neutral umpire’ is rewarded with the post of top bureaucrat of the BJP dispensation in Bengal. Does anyone still seriously believe the 2026 Bengal elections were free and fair? Outrageous and brazen.”
The Congress also attacked the appointments of Agarwal and former election observer Subrata Gupta. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged there was “brazen collusion and connivance” between the BJP and the Election Commission.
BJP says appointment followed service rules
The BJP has rejected the criticism and defended the appointment, saying the government selected the senior-most IAS officer according to administrative norms.
Agarwal’s appointment came after incumbent chief secretary Dushyant Nariala was moved to the post of Principal Resident Commissioner in New Delhi.
Political speculation had intensified even before the official announcement after Agarwal was seen seated beside Chief Minister Adhikari during the BJP government’s first cabinet meeting at Nabanna.
Interestingly, Agarwal had originally been chosen as West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer by the Election Commission from a panel sent by the previous Mamata Banerjee-led government.
BJP government announces major policy changes
The political controversy erupted on the same day the new BJP government announced several major decisions during its first cabinet meeting.
Chief Minister Adhikari said West Bengal would implement Ayushman Bharat and roll out key Central welfare schemes including Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, Vishwakarma Scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, PM SHRI, and Ujjwala Yojana.
The government also announced that the upper age limit for state government job applications would be increased by five years.
The administration further said it would prioritise border security and complete the process of handing over required land to the BSF within 45 days.
The BJP formed the government in West Bengal for the first time after winning 207 seats in the 294-member Assembly and defeating the Trinamool Congress, which was reduced to 80 seats.
