Neelam Meena, a 1998 batch Indian Administrative Service officer, has become the first woman to be appointed as the chief electoral officer of West Bengal, officials confirmed on Monday.
According to officials familiar with the development, the Election Commission of India appointed Meena to the post, replacing Manoj Kumar Agarwal.
An official said Meena’s appointment marks the first time a woman has been selected to head the state’s election machinery.
Agarwal was recently appointed chief secretary of West Bengal by the newly formed Bharatiya Janata Party government on May 12.
During his tenure as CEO, Agarwal received appreciation for overseeing an assembly election that remained largely free from violence. However, he also faced criticism over allegations of mass disenfranchisement linked to the Special Intensive Revision exercise conducted under his watch.
Soon after the assembly election results were declared, the state administration also appointed Subrata Gupta as adviser to the chief minister. Gupta had earlier served as a special observer appointed by the Election Commission during the polls.
Before finalising the appointment, the state government had reportedly forwarded the names of three senior IAS officers to the Election Commission, including Neelam Meena, Tanmay Chakraborty and Moumita Godara Basu.
Over the course of her administrative career, Meena has handled several important responsibilities across departments in the state government, serving in roles such as principal secretary, director, secretary and deputy chairperson.
