Bengal’s Power Play

West Bengal’s decision to form its own selection committee to appoint the Director General of Police (DGP) is more than just another bureaucratic tweak—it’s a subtle political power play.

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By sidestepping the Centre’s approval (and the UPSC shortlist), Bengal joins Punjab, Kerala and Uttar Pradesh in asserting that states can pick their police chiefs without Delhi’s permission. That’s three states across three political spectrums — AAP, BJP, and TMC — all singing a surprisingly similar federalist tune. This didn’t happen overnight. Bengal has had an acting DGP for months, and with little movement from Delhi, the Mamata Banerjee government has decided to take matters into its own hands. The new process will involve a state-constituted panel, likely with the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary at the helm. However, the move potentially clashes with the 2006 Supreme Court judgement in Prakash Singh vs. Union of India, which sought to insulate police appointments from political meddling by involving the UPSC. The states now argue that the meddling is happening from Delhi, not within.

Is this the beginning of true cooperative federalism or a slow drift into Centre-state turf wars? Either way, it’s a fascinating test case in state autonomy — and could reshape how India balances power between Krishna Hill and the nation’s capital.

This isn’t just about a DGP. It’s about who gets to do the appointing — and who gets to push back.