The Election Commission has rejected the request of the Bengal government to exempt senior IAS officers and IPS officers, including the state home secretary, from duty as central observers in three states and a Union territory where elections would be held along with Bengal, making it clear that it was in no mood to consider Nabanna's requests in view of the ongoing conflict over the SIR.

"I am directed to state that the Commission has rejected the exemption request made in respect of officer(s) concerned. Accordingly, the concerned officer(s) may be directed to attend the Briefing Meeting on the set date and time for the respective batch," reads a mail sent to the Bengal CEO and the personnel and administrative reforms department from Nirvachan Sadan dated February 3.

Sources in Nabanna said that it was the first time in recent memory that the poll panel refused to accept alternatives proposed by Nabanna for discharging the responsibility as national observers during state or Lok Sabha polls.

"In the past, whenever the state requested to relieve officers appointed by the EC for observer duty, it was always accepted. But this is the first time when such a proposal has been turned down. It gives a clear hint that the conflict between Nirvachan Sadan and Nabanna could reach a critical turn in the near future," said a Nabanna official.

Earlier, the EC had appointed 15 senior IAS officers, including home secretary J.P. Meena, minorities affairs secretary P.B. Salim, panchayat secretary P. Ulganathan and transport secretary Soumitra Mohan, as national observers for Assam, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, where elections will be held along with Bengal.

The EC had also engaged 10 IPS officers of Bengal cadre, including police commissioners of Howrah and Asansol, on poll duty in other states.

Sources in the poll panel said that they were forced to suo motu select officers as the Bengal government did not send names of officers for the rolls of central observers, even after Nirvachan Sadan sent at least three letters requesting Nabanna to send names.

But when the poll panel sent the list of officers selected as national observers from Bengal, Nabanna sent a letter requesting it to spare nine senior IAS officers, including the home secretary and eight IPS officers, and sent a list of replacements.

"However, as the poll panel has finalised these names, they cannot be replaced at the last minute," said a source.

Sources in Nabanna said that it seemed that the poll panel wanted to cripple the state government's ongoing projects before the polls.

"The state plans to release funds for 16 lakh people under its rural housing scheme. Now, if the panchayat secretary is busy doing observer duty, how can it be completed? Similarly, if the home secretary is sent to another state as an observer, who will look after the law and order during elections?" asked a senior bureaucrat.

A Bengal minister said that chief minister Mamata Banerjee had pointed out that the EC had crippled the government in the last six months in the guise of the SIR. "Now, it has made another attempt to stop the state from its welfare work by withdrawing department secretaries ahead of the polls," said the minister.

Officers from Bengal appointed as observers have started preparations to be in New Delhi on February 6 for an EC briefing. "We are yet to receive any instruction from Nabanna. But we don't have any option as the EC made it clear that if we don't attend the meeting, proceedings could be initiated against us," said a bureaucrat on the list of observers.