CM Suvendu Bets On Mamata's Top Bureaucrat Nandini Chakraborty For Bengal Border Task: Report

Last Updated:May 15, 2026, 13:10 IST

Mamata made her Bengal's first woman Chief Secretary. The Election Commission removed her in two months. Now Suvendu Adhikari has brought her back for the state's toughest job.

Nandini Chakraborty, who made history as West Bengal’s first woman Chief Secretary, has reportedly been given a significant new responsibility — this time under the BJP government led by Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, the man whose party defeated her former boss Mamata Banerjee. The appointment is being closely watched in Kolkata’s corridors of power.

Who Is Nandini Chakraborty?

A West Bengal cadre IAS officer, Chakraborty built her reputation as one of Mamata Banerjee’s most trusted bureaucrats.

According to Navbharat Times, she served in several key positions across the state government — as State Home Secretary, Secretary of Information and Cultural Affairs, and as Secretary to former West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose.

She is a graduate in Political Science from Kolkata’s prestigious Lady Brabourne College and holds a postgraduate degree from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

The Chief Secretary Controversy

Her elevation to Chief Secretary in January 2026 was itself mired in controversy. NBT reported that her appointment bypassed several senior IAS officers in the state cadre — a move widely seen as Mamata Banerjee’s personal choice, given Chakraborty’s close proximity to the former Chief Minister. But her tenure at the top turned out to be remarkably brief — just two months.

Removed Hours After Election Dates Were Announced

On March 15, 2026, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced the dates for the West Bengal Assembly elections.

Within hours of that announcement, the Election Commission of India removed Chakraborty from the post of Chief Secretary — a move that signalled the poll body’s intention to ensure a level playing field in the state ahead of elections. It was a dramatic and very public exit for one of Bengal’s most senior officers.

What Happens Next — And Why It Matters

Here is where the story takes an unexpected turn. According to sources quoted by Navbharat Times from Nabanna, the current state secretariat, Chakraborty has been retained in her existing role of Principal Coordinator of Development Works — a post that reports directly to the Chief Minister’s Office — but has now been given a distinct and critical new set of responsibilities under the Suvendu Adhikari-led BJP cabinet.

Her biggest immediate task, NBT reported, is to oversee the smooth transfer of land to the Border Security Force for fencing along West Bengal’s international border with Bangladesh.

This is no small assignment. The very first resolution passed at the new state cabinet’s meeting on May 11 was to complete the land transfer process to the BSF within 45 days — a flagship priority of the new BJP government that signals a sharp policy shift from the Mamata era, when BSF-state relations were frequently strained.

She will also supervise the implementation of centrally-sponsored development projects across the state — again, a role that puts her at the intersection of Delhi and Nabanna at a politically sensitive moment.

Why The New Government Chose Her

The choice of Chakraborty — a bureaucrat closely associated with the previous Trinamool Congress government — by the incoming BJP administration is being read as a pragmatic, experience-driven decision.

As NBT noted, her extensive administrative experience across the state’s Home Department and as Chief Secretary made her the most suitable candidate for these sensitive assignments in the eyes of the new cabinet.

In Bengal’s charged political climate, it is a rare instance of continuity over ideology — at least for now.

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