Election Commission Transfers Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary, DGPs Ahead of Polls; Stalin Calls it 'Overreach' |
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New Delhi: In a major bureaucratic reshuffle just a fortnight ahead of Assembly elections in Tamil Nadu, the Election Commission on Wednesday (April 8) ordered the transfer of Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary N. Muruganandam and Director General of Police (Armed Police, Vigilance and Anti-Corruption) S Davidson Devasirvatham, replacing them with M. Sai Kumar and senior IPS officer Sandeep Mittal, respectively. The decision has drawn criticism from chief minister M.K. Stalin who called the action an “overreach”.
The directive stated that the both replacements must be implemented with immediate effect, along with a compliance report that the officers join by 6 pm. Kumar, who was reportedly on leave till April 12, rushed to Chennai and took charge of the role on Wednesday evening.
While EC maintained that the changes were part of poll preparedness in the state, it also directed that Muruganandam and Devasirvatham should not be posted in any election-related positions until the completion of the Assembly elections.
The 234-member assembly of Tamil Nadu goes to polls on April 23.
“I strongly condemn the Election Commission, which is fully active in the electoral field without taking to the field to directly campaign in support of the BJP, for now engaging in a one-sided, overreaching political action by replacing Tamil Nadu’s Chief Secretary…” Stalin said in a post on X.
He alleged that the poll body, which is tasked with conducting fair and free elections, was “executing the orders of the BJP”.
“The Election Commission, operating with a dominant mindset in the BJP regime that strives to lead the country down an authoritarian path, failing to recognize this has dragged the dignity of the Commission to the streets,” the chief minister wrote.
Notably, Sai Kumar, a 1990-batch IAS officer, was serving as the Commissioner of Revenue Administration until last evening. He was the secretary to former Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami during the previous AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu.
The reshuffling order comes after Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president Vijay, on March 28, had urged the election commission to transfer several top officials of the state government to ensure a free and fair playing field during the elections. The list included Muruganandam, Devasirvatham as well as DGP (HoPF) G Venkatraman.
The ECI had already ordered the transfer of Venkatraman on April 2, replacing him with Sandeep Rai Rathore, DGP (Training), as the new DGP (HoPF). A few other senior IPS officers were also transferred, as were Thoothukudi Collector K Elambahavath and Salem Collector R Brindha Devi.
Stalin alleged that such actions were only being taken in opposition-ruled states. In Tamil Nadu, he further alleged, the election commission was “eagerly” aiding the electoral malpractices of the BJP and AIADMK. He pointed to the constitutional requirement of impartiality of the poll body, alleging that the current officers dragging it to the streets “poses a grave danger to our country and to free and fair elections”.
“This jungle raj, where the BJP incites replacements of “Chief Secretaries” and “DGPs” only in states ruled by opposition parties, including Tamil Nadu, reflects that neither the Prime Minister, who brought a new law amendment saying “I myself will appoint the Chief Election Commissioner,” defying the Supreme Court verdict, nor the Union BJP government he guides, will ever understand the sanctity of the Election Commission. All these actions show that even the Election Commission, the last hope of democracy, has turned saffron,” he said.
In March, the election commission took similar action in poll-bound West Bengal. Till March 31, the EC ordered the transfer of at least 31 IPS officers and other bureaucrats, including the transfer of two additional director generals of police on March 17.