The Election Commission on 19th March directed the West Bengal government to appoint Sanjay Mukherjee as the new Director General of Police, less than 24 hours after it named Sahay as the top cop.
Sahay's appointment was based on his seniority, but since he is scheduled to superannuate in the final week of May before the Lok Sabha elections conclude, the poll panel named Mukherjee as the DGP, a senior official told PTI news agency.
Mukherjee, a 1989-batch IPS officer, was the second person on the list of the three officers recommended by the West Bengal government for the post of DGP to the EC.
The poll panel directed the state to ensure immediate compliance and confirm the appointment by 5 pm on Tuesday.
(With PTI inputs)