Kolkata, March 20 TMC MP and senior lawyer Kalyan Banerjee moved the Calcutta High Court on Friday, questioning the Election Commission's transfer order of several IAS and IPS officers in West Bengal shortly after the announcement of assembly elections in the state.
The petitioner named Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar as a party respondent in the matter.
Appearing before a division bench presided over by Chief Justice Sujoy Paul, the lawyer requested for an early hearing of the petition.
The petition, which questions the transfers without consulting the state government before the EC made the decisions, is likely to be heard early next week, a lawyer connected with the matter said.
A large number of senior IAS and IPS officers, including the state's chief secretary, home secretary, and director general of police (DGP), were replaced by the Election Commission within hours of the announcement of the West Bengal assembly elections on March 15.
The elections to the 294-member West Bengal assembly will be held in two phases – on April 23 and 29. Votes will be counted on May 4.