Kolkata, April 8 The Election Commission removed Anurag Yadav, the general observer for Cooch Behar Dakshin, on Wednesday after it was found that he was unaware of the number of polling stations in the assembly constituency, an official said.
During a briefing for observers, Yadav was unable to state the number of polling stations in his constituency, prompting the EC to immediately order his removal, they said.
"When Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar asked him about the number of polling stations in his constituency, Yadav appeared flustered and took several minutes before replying that there were 125 polling stations in Cooch Behar Dakshin," an official said.
"The CEC was dissatisfied with Yadav's performance and directed him to leave his post immediately," he said.
Competence and familiarity with constituency details are critical for the smooth conduct of elections, he added.
Cooch Behar Dakshin will vote in the first of the two-phase West Bengal elections on April 23. The votes will be counted on May 4.