The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued directives for the removal of several key officials across multiple states in the run-up to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, according to sources.
The orders include the removal of home secretaries in six states: Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Furthermore, the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh, who were holding charges in their respective Chief Minister's Offices, have been removed from their positions.
Days after announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, the poll panel under CEC Rajiv Kumar also ordered the removal of the Director General of Police (DGP) in West Bengal.
The poll watchdog has also taken action to remove Brihanmumbai Municipal Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, along with several additional commissioners and deputy commissioners, according to sources.
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 with respect to a 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.
The step is part of the commission's efforts to maintain a level playing field and ensure the integrity of the electoral process, which has been emphasised by CEC Kumar on several occasions.
The move comes after the commission, comprising CEC Kumar and fellow ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, met here on Monday.
Responding to the poll regulator's decision to remove Bengal's top cop, the ruling Trinamool Congress hit out at the BJP government at the centre for trying to "grab and monitor" the functioning of central agencies.
"We have seen that the BJP is trying its best to grab different organisations, including ECI. They have taken over the control of central agencies and different organisations. In this case also, after the announcement of Lok Sabha elections, what we saw today is a reflection of the BJP. It is trying its best to grab and monitor the functioning of these kinds of organisations, including ECI," TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said.
(With inputs from ANI and PTI)