Home Secretaries transferred: UP wanted its officer retained but EC stood its ground

Within hours of the Commission’s order to remove the home secretaries, sources said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra wrote to the EC opposing the decision. He argued that Prasad had relinquished the additional charge of the Chief Minister’s Office days before the Lok Sabha polls were announced and the Model Code of Conduct came into effect, thus eliminating any conflict of interest.

Nevertheless, the Commission responded to Mishra, reiterating its order and asking him to comply by submitting a panel of three names for the EC to appoint Prasad’s successor during the poll period. “While the Commission considered the state government’s stance, the order was reaffirmed,” said a source.

According to sources, while all states complied with the Commission’s order on the same day, Uttar Pradesh objected but ultimately relented.

The Commission’s decision to remove six home secretaries stems from an effort to establish a clear separation between the state bureaucracy and the ruling party. This is achieved by ensuring that none of the home secretaries are involved in the operations of the Chief Minister’s Office. “This measure is implemented to ensure a level playing field,” added a source.

Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand were the only states where the Home Secretaries were also involved in the functioning of their respective Chief Minister’s Office.