Maharashtra govt, police get EC rap for not transferring officials before polls

Despite reminders on August 22, September 11 and September 25, the EC is yet to get the full reports, it said in a letter to the Chief Secretary Friday. While a partial report from the Additional DGP was sent, “no report has been received in the Commission from the Chief Secretary till date”, the EC wrote.

Asking for the reports to be sent immediately, the EC asked the Chief Secretary and DGP to “explain the circumstances as to why the compliance reports have not been furnished even after the lapse of stipulated time limit despite reminders in the matter”.

According to sources, the issue came up during the EC’s review of election preparations in Mumbai on Friday. The poll panel, comprising Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioner Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, started the two-day review on Friday. The CEC is learnt to have expressed his displeasure at the delay in complying with the EC’s instructions.

Sources said around 100 inspectors of Mumbai Police and several Revenue Department officials across the state, who were due for transfer, are yet to be shifted.
A government official from Maharashtra said that as per EC guidelines, five senior officers including an Inspector General (IG) rank officer, in addition to the 100 inspectors from Mumbai police, were to be transferred.

Of these five senior officers, while one Superintendent of Police (SP) rank officer has been transferred, four others, including the IG-rank officer, are yet to be transferred.

“There has been some disagreement over the transfer of the IG rank officer between the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra police with the former hesitant to relieve him. Hence, the Maharashtra police wrote to EC saying that compliance of EC orders has been done across Maharashtra barring Mumbai,” a government official said.

Elections to the Maharashtra and Jharkhand Assembly are due, with the Maharashtra Assembly’s term ending on November 26 and Jharkhand’s on January 5, 2025. Earlier this week, the EC visited Jharkhand to review its preparations. The EC had decided not to schedule the Maharashtra Assembly elections along with the ongoing Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir elections.