Lok Sabha elections 2024: 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.
BMC Commissioner removed
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.
These actions form part of the commission's endeavors to uphold a level-playing field and safeguard the integrity of the electoral process, a priority reiterated by Chief Election Commissioner Kumar on numerous occasions.
Lok Sabha elections 2024
The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases beginning from April 19 and results will be announced on June 4, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said on Saturday (March 16).
The other phases will be on April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Assembly elections in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim will be held on April 19, and in Andhra Pradesh on May 13. Elections to Odisha assembly will be held in four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1. Bypolls will also be held for 26 assembly constituencies, Kumar said at a press conference flanked by two new Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.
(With agencies input)
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