The Election Commission of India (ECI) has written to two top officers of Gujarat, reprimanding them for not submitting a report on transfers and postings of government employees who would be deployed in yet-to-be-announced state Assembly polls.
As per rules, the officials who would be deployed for election duty can’t be posted in their home district or locations where they have served for a long time.
As per sources, the commission has written a letter to the chief secretary and director general of police (DGP) of Gujarat, asking them why they have not submitted the report within the stipulated time.
The poll watchdog, in its letter, has come down heavily on the senior Gujarat government officers, said the above-cited sources.
It had sought a compliance report from the officials by September 30. The election body shot up a reminder on October 19, asking the state government to submit the report on an urgent basis.
The term of the Gujarat Legislative Assembly will end in February next year and the elections are expected to be held by the end of this year.
The commission didn’t announce the schedule for elections in Gujarat when it released dates for Assembly polls in Himachal Pradesh earlier this month. “The announcement for elections in the western coastal state will be made later”, chief election commissioner Rajiv Kumar had said.
He had offered two explanations for not announcing the polls for Gujarat along with Himachal Pradesh – weather and duration of the Assembly term.
“Weather is an important factor in Himachal Pradesh. Holding elections in winter won’t be possible because of the inclement weather in large parts of the state.”
He said that the term of the Gujarat Assembly will expire in February next year, while the tenure of the present Himachal Pradesh Assembly will expire a month before – on January 8.
The last Assembly election in Gujarat was won by the Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) which bagged 99 seats in the 182-member Legislative Assembly. Congress party had emerged victorious in 77 Assembly segments.