EC transfers UP officials accused of being BSP 'agents'

Most of the officials who were removed were posted in or around Rae Bareli and Amethi constituencies, represented by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, reports Sharat Paradhan

The Election Commission on Monday ordered the immediate removal of nearly a dozen officials, including some IAS and IPS officers, from certain key positions. The EC accused them of working as "agents" of the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party.

The Election Commission has not only shifted them from the existing appointments, but also ensured that they are not associated with any election duty.

Significantly, most of the officials were posted in or around Rae Bareli and Amethi parliamentary constituencies, which is represented by United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi.

The orders for their transfer followed complaints made by some Congress leaders.

Prominent among those given marching orders were Rae Bareli District Magistrate Amrita Soni, Meerut Deputy Inspector General police Prem Prakash , Bhadohi Sub Divisional Officer Anjani Kumar Singh, Amethi (Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar) Additional District Magistrate M L Pandey and Dalmau Sub-divisional Magistrate  B L Saroj.

Junior police officials to be shunted include Gautam Budh Nagar SP (Rural) Rakesh Jolly, Jaunpur Dy SP Hari Nath Sharma, Amethi Kotwali incharge  Anand Bajpai , Mohanganj SHO Anil Kumar Shahi, Rae Bareli Dy  SP  Sudhakar Singh and Unjh (Bhadohi) SHO Ramesh Ram.

"The officials were removed from their present posting in view of complaints that they were not working independently and of behaving as agents of the party in power," said a commission official.