Election Commission on Monday has written to Chief Secretary and Chief Electoral Officers of all states & union territories regarding transfer and posting of officers in the light of General Elections to the Lok Sabha, 2019 & state legislative assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha & Sikkim. Polls in Andhra, Arunachal, Sikkim, Odisha likely to be clubbed with Lok Sabha’19
Election Commission writes to Chief Secys&Chief Electoral Officers of all states&union territories regarding transfer/posting of officers in the light of General Elections to the Lok Sabha, 2019 & state legislative assemblies of Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha & Sikkim. pic.twitter.com/YcxOzWBlQ9
— ANI (@ANI) January 28, 2019
In a page letter, the Poll Panel has stated “The Commission has been following a consistent policy that officers directly connected with the conduct of elections in an election going State/UT are not posted in their home districts or places where they have served for the considerably long period”
‘It shall also be ensured that no DEO/RO/ARO/ Police inspectors/Sub-inspector or above is posted back or allowed to continue in the AC /district where he/she was posted during the General/bye-elections held in the Assembly prior to 31 May 2017,” it added.
Arrangements have begun for the General Elections due this year, for which political parties have started pitch campaigning.
Reportedly, the Poll body is also making some reforms ahead of Lok Sabha Polls 2019. The reforms will include making the filing of a false declaration a ground for disqualification. Also, EC will put a cap on the expenditure by parties for the legislative council polls. EC claims that the expenditure for legislative council polls should be half of what is allowed for candidates contesting assembly polls. It adds that every state should have a different expenditure limit based on its size, number of voters and assembly seats. It is also expected that EC will make bribery during the election period a cognizable offence