The EC’s unprecedented diktat for the transfer of top UP officials, including the state police chief, was yet another jolt for the UP Chief Minister.
LUCKNOW: The Election Commission’s unprecedented diktat for the transfer of top UP officials, including the state police chief, may have brought relief to Opposition parties. But it was yet another jolt for Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has just suffered a thrashing at the hands of the Supreme Court in the disproportionate assets case.
The DGP Bua Singh has sought voluntary retirement after hearing of the order, and there are reports that Chief Secretary, NC Bajpayee, known to be a close confidante of the UP CM, may also be removed before the election.
The UP DGP, who was due to retire in June this year, said, “The EC has done gross injustice to me and am hurt by this unfair decision.”
The EC has also ordered transfer of Principal Secretary (Home) Satish Agarwal. The DGP and the Home Secretary have been punished for attending the August 29 function to mark three years of the Mulayam government in the SP office here. Bua Singh, though, tried to explain that he had committed no wrong as the function was an official government function and not a party programme.
The other officials removed by the EC on charges of being biased to the SP are Additional DG (Law & Order) AC Sharma, Meerut Division Commissioner Devdutt, Meerut SSP Navneet Sikera, Saharanpur DM Anil Kumar, Etah DM Sri Ram Kumar, Kanpur Zone IG Rizwan Ahmed, Agra Range DIG Akhilesh Mehrotra, and Meerut Range DIG Shailendra Pratap Singh. All these officers are known to kowtow to Mulayam. During meetings with Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy in Lucknow, opposition leaders had alleged that these officers had been given crucial postings to help SP candidates during polls.
BSP chief Mayawati welcomed the order saying, “The EC has made a good beginning. Now we can rest assured that the elections would be free and fair.” Congressman Pramod Tiwari said the EC should identify more such officers acting as SP “agents”.
“The EC order has reassured opposition parties that Mulayam Singh will not be allowed to misuse official machinery during elections,” State BJP president Kesrinath Tripathi said. However, SP leader Beni Prasad Verma told reporters in New Delhi, “Chunaav aayog sirphira ho gaya hai.” (The EC has lost its mind.) “Aayog man-maane dhang se kaam kar raha hai,” he said. (The EC is acting in a whimsical manner.)
The EC’s order is ominous for the Mulayam government. For Mulayam this could just be the beginning of the Election Commission’s reshuffle exercise in the state.
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