BREAKING: EC Orders Removal Of West Bengal DGP; Home Secys Changed In 6 States

New Delhi: In a decisive move towards upholding the principles of free, fair, and transparent elections, the Election Commission on Monday ordered the removal of home secretaries of 6 states - Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, sources said. The poll panel also ordered the removal of the West Bengal director general of police (DGP). Moreover, the secretary of the general administrative departments of Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh have also been removed. 

Besides, the poll panel under CEC Rajiv Kumar also ordered the removal of Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional commissioners and deputy commissioners. The move comes after the commission comprising CEC Kumar and fellow ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu held a high-level meet on Monday. 

What Has The Election Commission Ordered?   

• The commission had directed all the state governments to transfer officers connected with election-related work, who have completed three years or are in their home districts. Maharashtra had not complied with the directions in respect of few municipal commissioners and some 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.
• The chief secretary was also directed to transfer all the similarly placed municipal commissioners and additional or deputy municipal commissioners of other corporations in Maharashtra.

What Led to Such Action by EC? 

The step, which comes after announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections is a part of the commission's efforts to maintain a level playing field and ensure the integrity of the electoral process, which CEC Kumar has emphasised on several occasions. Additionally, 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.