CHENNAI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday ordered the transfer of Tamil Nadu Home Secretary Dheeraj Kumar, appointing senior IAS officer K Manivasan in his place ahead of the Assembly elections.
Manivasan subsequently assumed charge as Home Secretary on Saturday after necessary orders were issued by the state government.
The move follows a series of bureaucratic reshuffles by the ECI earlier this week, including the transfer of Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, DGP (HoPF) in-charge G Venkataraman, ADGP (Armed Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption) S Davidson Devasirvatham, and Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A Arun.
In a related development, the ECI modified its earlier order appointing Sandeep Mittal as head of both the Armed Police and the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC). In its revised order issued on Saturday, the Commission stated that Mittal would head only the Armed Police.
However, sources in the state government indicated that the modification does not necessarily mean that Devasirvatham would continue to head the DVAC, a key wing of the TN police.
ECI’s powers under Article 324 limited to poll matters: Baalu
“A suitable arrangement, in consultation with the ECI, will be made regarding the appointment of a head for the DVAC,” a senior official told TNIE.
The revision of the order comes in the wake of a representation submitted by DMK MP and treasurer TR Baalu to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi on Thursday, raising serious concerns over the transfer of Muruganandam and the appointment of Mittal as DVAC head.
In his representation, Baalu argued that the ECI’s powers under Article 324 are limited to matters directly related to the conduct of elections. He contended that the DVAC, which probes corruption allegations against government officials, does not fall within the commission’s remit and therefore its officers should not be subject to transfer by the ECI.
Highlighting that Muruganandam had served as chief secretary for over a year and a half, Baalu said he was best placed to ensure administrative continuity during the election period, when the political executive is largely engaged in campaigning.
He also noted that no major political party had raised complaints against Muruganandam and questioned the rationale behind the ECI’s decision. “The government cannot come to a standstill during elections. The Chief Secretary plays a key role in overseeing day-to-day administration,” he said.
Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin also condemned the transfer, describing it as an openly partisan move by the ECI in favour of the BJP.