New Delhi: Ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly polls, the Election Commission on Monday directed the state government to transfer DGP Rashmi Shukla with immediate effect following complaints from political parties, including the Congress, sources said.
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.
Maharashtra goes to polls on November 20.
Shukla was asked to hand over charge to the next seniormost IPS officer in the cadre with immediate effect, EC sources said. The EC also asked the chief secretary to send a panel of names of three IPS officers by 1 pm Tuesday for appointment as DGP.
The Congress had written to the EC on October 31 alleging bias against the Congress, the Shiv Sena (UBT), and the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), citing alleged phone tapping of Opposition leaders while Shukla was posted as Pune police commissioner and commissioner of the state intelligence department.
EC sources said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had warned officials during review meetings to remain impartial and also be perceived to be non-partisan during the elections.
