EC transfers Maharashtra DGP

AFTER OPPOSITION ALLEGES BIAS

- VINAY KUMAR

NEW DELHI: A fortnight before the poll-bound Maharashtra votes to elect a new Assembly, the Election Commission on Monday directed the state government to transfer DGP Rashmi Shukla with immediate effect after complaints from political parties, including the Congress, sources said.

The Opposition, led by the Congress, had alleged that the senior IPS officer was biased towards the ruling Mahayuti alliance and that fair polls would not be possible if she was in the top post.

The poll body directed the Maharashtra chief secretary to hand over Shukla's charge to the next senior-most IPS officer in the cadre. The chief secretary was also directed to send a panel of three IPS officers by Tuesday afternoon for appointment as DGP, the sources said.

During a recent review meeting, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar warned officials to not only be impartial and fair but also ensure that they are perceived as non-partisan while carrying out their duties.