The Election Commission of India has directed the immediate transfer of Rashmi Shukla, the Director General of Police (DGP) for Maharashtra. It has also instructed the Maharashtra Chief Secretary to delegate her responsibilities to the next senior-most officer in the Indian Police Service (IPS) cadre.
Sources indicate that the Chief Secretary must present a panel of three potential candidates for the new DGP position by 1 PM on 5 November 2024.
This decision comes in light of the ECI’s commitment to ensuring free and fair elections in the state.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had previously emphasized the importance of impartiality among officials during review meetings leading up to the assembly elections. He urged them to maintain a non-partisan image while carrying out their duties.
Maharashtra will likely hold elections for its 288 assembly seats on 20 November, and officials will announce the results on 23 November.
Earlier on 15 October, the ECI asserted, “The total number of voters in Maharashtra is about 9.63 crore in total.”
In a related note, the ECI recently accepted the Jharkhand government’s proposal to appoint the senior-most IAS officer from the 1988 batch as the Chief Secretary of Jharkhand.
The Commission had also approved a five-month extension for former Chief Secretary Lalbiaktluanga Khiangte.
Last month, Ajay Kumar Singh, the senior-most IPS officer in the Jharkhand cadre, was appointed as the new DGP following the ECI’s directive to replace acting DGP Anurag Gupta.
The Commission removed Gupta due to concerns about his conduct in previous elections, emphasizing its commitment to maintaining integrity and accountability in the electoral process.
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