ECI Removes Maharashtra DGP Rashmi Shukla Over Cong Allegation Of Bias

Chief secretary has been directed to submit a panel of three IPS officers for the appointment of new DGP by 1 pm on November 5.

Mumbai:The Election Commission removed poll-bound Maharashtra's DGP Rashmi Shukla on Monday, days after the Congress alleged that the IPS officer had a 'clear bias' against the opposition. The ECI has ordered her immediate transfer and ordered the Maharashtra chief secretary to hand over her responsibilities to the next senior-most IPS officer in the cadre.

Additionally, the chief secretary has been directed to submit a panel of three IPS officers for the appointment of the new DGP by 1 pm on November 5, according to sources. Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar had warned officials during review meetings and the announcement of assembly elections in the state to be not only impartial and fair but also to ensure their conduct is perceived as non-partisan while performing their duties.

Election in Maharashtra will be held in a single phase for its 288 assembly seats on November 20, with results announced on November 23. On October 15, the ECI announced, "The total number of voters in Maharashtra is about 9.63 crore in total."

Earlier on Friday ECI accepted the proposal of the Jharkhand government to appoint the senior most 1988 batch IAS officer of the Jharkhand cadre as the Chief Secretary of the state.

Prior to this, the Commission had also consented to the proposal of a five-month extension of the tenure of former Chief Secretary Lalbiaktluanga Khiangte.

Last month ECI appointed Ajay Kumar Singh, the senior most IPS officer in the cadre as DGP Jharkhand. Singh was selected from the panel of three IPS officers sent by the state government after the Commission had ordered the immediate removal of acting DGP Anurag Gupta. It may be recalled that after the directives by ECI on October 19, 2024, Anurag Gupta was removed from the post of acting DGP, due to his history of election-related misconduct in previous elections.