Kolkata, Jan 5 (AHN) The West Bengal Government on Monday announced a massive reshuffle in the state police ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections.

According to a notification issued by the West Bengal Police Directorate, as many as 26 senior police officials, both of the Indian Police Service (IPS) and West Bengal Police Service (WBPS), have been shifted.

However, the maximum of the transferred officials -- 23 -- are of the IPS, while the remaining are of the state police service.

Three of the 26 police officers who had been transferred are of the rank of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police, while six are in the Superintendent or Deputy Commissioner or Commandant ranks, and the rest are of the Additional Superintendent rank.

The significant change was the DIG of the Midnapore Range, with the incumbent, Anup Jaiswal, being transferred as the DIG of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

Arijit Sinha replaces Jaiswal in the Midnapore Range. Incidentally, East Midnapore, which is the native district of the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Suvendu Adhikari, comes under the jurisdiction of the Midnapore Range.

Kalimpong's Superintendent of Police, Srihari Pandey, had been promoted as DIG, Intelligence Branch, for North Bengal. The state government had described the transfer as a routine transfer and made in the interest of public services.

However, the fresh transfer does not include any change in the existing district Superintendent of Police.

For the last few months, there have been several changes and transfers of senior police officials in the state, keeping in mind the crucial Assembly elections in the state scheduled later this year. There have also been changes in the ranks of junior-level officials like Deputy Superintendents of Police, Sub-Divisional Police Officers, Inspectors, and Sub-Inspectors of police.

The transfer includes state police, Kolkata Police, and other Police Commisionerates in the state.