The Bengal government sent a letter to the Election Commission on Thursday requesting that it spare nine officers, including the home secretary, who were appointed as central observers for Assembly polls in four states.

The government has proposed the names of nine other officers who could replace the observers appointed by the EC in Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, where elections would be held along with Bengal.

The EC had appointed 15 IAS officers and 10 IPS officers as central observers for the forthcoming elections to the four states. The officers were asked to attend a briefing meeting in Delhi on February 5 and 6. The EC had also made it clear that if the officers failed to participate in the meeting, it would be viewed seriously, and disciplinary proceedings could be initiated against them.

Senior officials at Nabanna had said that the EC had appointed the officers of the Bengal cadre from the civil list without consulting the state government. The top brass of Nabanna was particularly annoyed with the appointment of senior officers like J. P. Meena, the home secretary, P. B Salim, the minorities affairs secretary, and P. Ulganatha, the panchayat secretary, as the central observers.

Usually, relatively junior officers are appointed as election observers so that the projects of different departments don't get stuck, sources said.

“But the EC randomly appointed department secretaries as observers, which would leave several important projects in limbo. Also, if the home secretary is appointed as an observer in a different state, who would handle the state's law and order ahead of the elections? This is why the state government requested the EC to spare nine senior officers, including the home secretary, from their election engagements,” said a bureaucrat.

A source on the poll panel said that the EC was forced to deploy the officers as observers unilaterally, as the Bengal government had not responded to the letters asking the state to send a list of bureaucrats who could be picked for the tasks.

“At least three letters were sent to Nabanna by the EC in December last year. But the state government did not send any list of officers, forcing the poll panel to select officers from the state cadre without any consultation,” said the source.

Sources said that the government requested the EC to relieve nine senior officers, including the home secretary, minorities affairs secretary, panchayat secretary and transport secretary.

Two IPS officers — Bharat Lal Meena and Hrishikesh Meena — sent separate letters to the EC, pleading that they be relieved of the responsibilities as observers because of personal reasons and medical emergencies.

The sources said the EC had in the past entertained requests from states and spared certain officers from the roles of observers.

“It is not certain what will happen this time. But in all likelihood, the request from the state would be accepted as it has sent names of nine alternative officers,” said a source.