Guwahati: The Election Commission of India on Monday transferred five District Election Officers (DEOs) and five Senior Superintendents of Police (SSPs) in Assam and appointed a Special Observer for the state, a day after announcing the Assam Assembly election schedule.

DEO transfers

The DEOs of Kokrajhar, Majuli, Baksa, Chirang and Udalguri have been moved with immediate effect. In a letter to Assam Chief Secretary Ravi Kota, the EC appointed:

  • Kokrajhar: Dr P Uday Praveen replacing Pankaj Chakraborty
  • Majuli: Srishti Singh replacing Ratul Pathak
  • Baksa: Kimnei Changsan replacing Dhiraj Saud
  • Chirang: Madhusudan Nath replacing Gakul Chandra Brahma
  • Udalguri: Jay Vikas replacing Pulak Patgiri

All outgoing DEOs were from the Assam Civil Service (ACS) and have been replaced by Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers. The EC had earlier requested a list of all IAS officers from the 2010 to 2021 batches, signalling a wider reshuffle to strengthen election administration.

Officials said the transfers were prompted by dissatisfaction with the performance of several DEOs. Assam currently has 35 districts, with each DEO typically serving as the district magistrate or collector appointed to oversee elections.

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SSP transfers

The Senior Superintendents of Police of Majuli, South Salmara, Sadiya, Chirang and Dhemaji were also transferred with immediate effect:

  • Majuli SSP: Somalin Shubhdarshini replacing Haren Tokbi
  • South Salmara SSP: R Sheetal Kumar replacing Mrinal Kumar Deka
  • Sadiya SSP: Anchal Chauhan replacing Jagadish Das
  • Chirang SSP: Sudhakar Singh replacing Dhruba Bora
  • Dhemaji SSP: Mohan Lal Meena replacing Swapnaneel Deka

All outgoing SSPs were from the Assam Police Service (APS) and have been replaced by Indian Police Service (IPS) officers.

The EC directed that compliance reports confirming the officers’ assumption of new duties be submitted by 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday. Transferred officers will not hold any election-related posts until the conclusion of the polls.

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Special Observer appointed

The Commission also appointed former bureaucrat Manjeet Singh as Special Observer for Assam, tasked with regularly assessing election preparedness, monitoring conduct of the Assembly polls, and providing updates to the EC.

“As the eyes and ears of the Commission, the Special Observer will further bolster the conduct of elections in a free, peaceful, impartial, and transparent manner in Assam,” the EC said.

Assam Assembly elections schedule

The elections to the 126-member Assam Legislative Assembly are scheduled for April 9, 2026, with votes to be counted on May 4, 2026. The reshuffle of DEOs and SSPs, along with the appointment of a Special Observer, is aimed at ensuring free, fair and smooth elections across the northeastern state.

IANS