Maha parties woo independents who might play kingmakers
NCP-SP Maharashtra state president Jayant Patil and Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat have already begun contacting many independent candidates, just in case the MVA falls short of a majority.
Acting on complaints from the Congress and other opposition parties, the Election Commission on Monday directed the immediate transfer of Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla, citing the need to maintain impartiality in the upcoming assembly election.
The poll body has ordered the Maharashtra chief secretary to hand over Shukla’s responsibilities to the next senior-most IPS officer in the cadre. Additionally, the chief secretary has been asked to submit a panel of nmaes of three IPS officers by 1 PM on Tuesday to select the new DGP.
The development comes days after the Congress wrote a letter to the poll body, accusing Shukla of clear bias against opposition leaders and illegal phone tapping.
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They demanded her transfer, claiming it was crucial to uphold a fair election process in Maharashtra.
Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar previously emphasized the importance of not only maintaining impartiality, but also ensuring that officials’ conduct remains visibly non-partisan.
Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has welcomed the poll panel’s decision to remove Shukla as Maharashtra DGP.
“We welcome the decision taken by the Election Commission against Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla,” Thackeray said at a press conference in Mumbai.
The election to the 288-member Maharashtra Legislative Assembly is scheduled to be held on November 20 and counting of votes will take place on November 23.
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