EC assures SC to take extra care8217; in Bihar

NEW DELHI, SEPT 6: The Election Commission today assured the Supreme Court that extra care'' would be taken in Bihar to ensure free and...

NEW DELHI, SEPT 6: The Election Commission today assured the Supreme Court that 8220;extra care8221; would be taken in Bihar to ensure free and fair elections in the light of the Samata Party8217;s allegations that large-scale transfers were effected in the State in April with an eye on the elections.

A three-judge bench headed by Justice S P Bharucha, while admitting the party8217;s petition in this regard, recorded the statement of EC8217;s counsel that the Commission would take extra care to ensure free and fair elections in those constituencies where the transfers had been effected.

Counsel for the party, Gopal Subramaniam, alleged that the Chief Secretary, Director General of Police, 22 district magistrates and 17 Superintendents of Police had been transferred by the Rabri Devi Government between April 25 and 28, barely a week after the BJP Government was voted out.

With President K R Narayanan failing to find an alternative coalition to lead a Government, it had become amply clear by April 25 that mid-term pollswould be the only solution and the transfers were made keeping an eye on the ensuing polls, the party claimed.

The Samata Party alleged that by April 25 it was clear that mid-term polls were inevitable and the Rashtriya Janata Dal Government had replaced these officers who were appointed during the brief spell of President8217;s Rule in the State.

It said that though President8217;s Rule was revoked on March 8, these officers had been allowed to continue till the last week of April.

The party alleged that these officers were replaced by the 8220;very same officers who were transferred during the President8217;s Rule and were reposted to the same place8221;.

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These abrupt transfers after elections, the party said, was neither in public interest, exigencies of the situation or routine manner.

The party, which is an ally of BJP and participated in the coalition government led by Atal Behari Vajpayee, apprehended that the elections in the State would be vitiated by these transfers and alleged the officers who had beenposted now were 8220;interested, partisan and biased8221;.

The Patna High Court had dismissed a Public Interest Litigation PIL filed by the party saying that the officers, who had been transferred, were neither underprivileged nor helpless to come to the court for redressal of their grievance against transfers.