The Election Commission has appointed Sarvana Vivek M, a 2015-batch IPS officer from the Odisha cadre, as the Police Observer for the upcoming 2026 West Bengal Legislative Assembly elections.
According to a notification issued this Sunday, Vivek will be responsible for overseeing all police-related arrangements throughout the two-phase election process.
“In exercise of the powers conferred on it by Article 324 of the Constitution of India and Section 20B of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission hereby appoints you as its Police Observer for the General Elections to the Legislative Assembly of West Bengal, 2026,” the notification read.
“The officer will be on deputation to the EC during the period of his assignment and will function under its “control, superintendence and discipline,” it added.
Stationed at the Chief Electoral Officer’s office in Kolkata, Vivek is tasked with providing regular updates and inputs to the Election Commission in line with its directives, the notification said.
“The timeline of duty will start from the date of your appointment, and will end on the date of completion of the election,” the notification said.
West Bengal will vote on April 23 and 29, and the counting will be held on May 4.
