The Election Commission of India (ECI) made a decisive move toward upholding the principles of free, fair, and transparent elections by issuing orders for the removal of six Home Secretaries in six states namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Additionally, the poll panel directed the transfer of West Bengal’s Director General of Police, the state’s chief cop. The re-shuffle, a common practice by the Election Commission before major polls, also involves the transfer of the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh.
The Election Commission, led by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, has ordered the removal of Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, along with additional commissioners and deputy commissioners, just days after announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections.
The Election Commission has instructed all state governments to transfer officers involved in election-related tasks who have completed three years or are stationed in their home districts.
Notably, Maharashtra had failed to comply with the Election Commission’s directions regarding the removal of several municipal commissioners, as well as additional and deputy municipal commissioners.
While conveying displeasure to the state chief secretary, the commission directed the transfer of BMC and the additional and deputy commissioners with the direction to report by 6 pm on Monday.
Furthermore, the chief secretary was mandated to transfer all similarly positioned municipal commissioners, as well as additional or deputy municipal commissioners, across other corporations in Maharashtra.
This step comes as part of the Commission’s resolve and commitment to maintaining a level playing field and ensuring the integrity of the electoral process, which has been emphasised by CEC Rajiv Kumar time and again and recently during the Press Conference for announcement of Schedule for General Elections 2024.
The Commission meeting chaired by Rajiv Kumar, comprising Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu was held on Monday at noon.
The officials who have been removed in these seven states were found to be holding dual charges in the office of Chief Minister in respective states which may potentially compromise or be seen to be compromising the impartiality and neutrality required during the electoral process, especially in matters relating to law and order, deployment of forces, etc.
