Election Commission orders the removal of Home Secretaries of Six States and Bengal DGP ahead of the LS elections

The Election Commission of India on Monday ordered the removal of the home secretaries of 6 states, in addition to the Bengal DGP, days after the imposition of the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections. The Secretary of the General Administrative Department of Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh has also been removed.

The Home Secretaries of the states of Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand and Himachal Pradesh have been removed from their post. In addition, the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh has also been relieved of their duties.

Iqbal Singh Chahal the Commissioner of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and other officials of Mumbai's civic body have been removed. Bengal’s Director General of Police, Rajiv Kumar has also been removed ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

This comes days after the announcement of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections and the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct thereafter. The general elections will be conducted in 7 phases, starting April 19, with results slated to be announced on June 4. The Model Code of Conduct is issued by the Election Commission and it serves as a comprehensive set of guidelines designed to regulate the conduct of political parties and candidates in the days leading up to the elections. Restrictions on speeches, activities on polling day, management of polling booths, allocation of portfolios, and the content of election manifestos, conduct during processions, and overall behavior, all aimed at facilitating the conduct of free and fair elections, all fall under the purview of the Model Code of Conduct.​