The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Monday issued orders for the removal of home secretaries in six states, the director general of police (DGP) of West Bengal, Rajeev Kumar, and other top bureaucrats, in a move to uphold the principles of free, fair and transparent elections.
The Home Secretaries of these states – Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand – have been transferred to ensure a level playing field for the upcoming elections to the Lok Sabha, sources told Indian Express.
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Just a few days after announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, the poll panel, under Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar, also removed the secretary of the general administrative departments of Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh and ordered the removal of Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional commissioners and deputy commissioners, news agency PTI reported.
During the announcement of the poll schedule, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar asked all political parties and their leaders to strictly adhere to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), which lays down a list of dos and don’ts for leaders and parties ahead of elections. Amongst other things, the code bars the government from announcing policy decisions.
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EC had directed all the state governments to transfer its officers connected with election work, who have completed three years or are posted in their home district. However, Maharashtra did not comply with the directions in respect of few municipal commissioners and some additional and deputy municipal commissioners, PTI reported