The Election Commission of India (ECI), to ensure a level playing field in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, on Monday ordered the removal of certain bureaucrats across India including Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) chief Iqbal Singh Chahal. Reacting to the development, the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT) said, the ECI has done what Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde should have done, the ANI reported.
According to the ANI, on the removal of BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional and deputy commissioners by ECI, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey said, ” ECI did what CM Eknath Shinde should have done. From time to time our leader Aaditya Thackeray kept saying that Iqbal Singh Chahal has been in that post for so long and that he needs to be removed but no one took any action…today by removing him from this post, ECI has given a message that our demand was legitimate.”
#WATCH | Maharashtra: On the removal of BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, additional and deputy commissioners by ECI, Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson Anand Dubey says, ” ECI did what CM Eknath Shinde should have done. From time to time our leader Aaditya Thackeray kept saying… pic.twitter.com/SHhBmSD3PT
— ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2024
The announcement came after Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, flanked by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, held a meeting in the national capital on March 18, as per the PTI.
The ECI had directed all state governments to transfer officers connected with election-related work, who have completed three years or are in their home districts. However, Maharashtra had partially complied with the directions. They had not transferred select municipal commissions, additional and deputy civic chiefs, the PTI reported.
According to a PTI report, the Election Commission directed the removal of BMC chief IS Chahal as well as deputy and additional commissioners, with a deadline of 6 pm on Monday.
The ECI also directed the chief secretary to transfer all similarly places civic chiefs and additional or deputy municipal commissioners of other corporations in Maharashtra, the PTI report further stated.
A PTI report, quoting its sources, stated that the ECI ordered the removal of home secretaries of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand as well. The report further stated that the poll body has also ordered the removal of the West Bengal director general of police (DGP).
(with PTI and ANI inputs)
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