In a surprise move, the Election Commission of India removed Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Salina Singh in a late night development. Salina Singh has been replaced by junior batch officer V.L. Kantha Rao. Prior to his new assignment, Kantha Rao was serving as the Principal Secretary in the Department of MSME and Commissioner of Department of Industries. He had served in the Madhya Pradesh election office as Additional Chief Electoral Officer during 2013 assembly polls.
The unprecedented move from the Election Commission of India comes just four months ahead of the assembly elections.
The order came as a jolt to Salina Singh, a 1986 batch IAS officer, who was in office till last evening, oblivious to the fact that she was being transferred. The Election Commission of India had sought a panel of three principal secretary rank officers from Madhya Pradesh chief secretary B.P. Singh last evening. The order on the new CEO reached within hours of sending the names for the panel, sources said. Notably, chief election commissioner of India O.P. Rawat is an IAS officer from Madhya Pradesh cadre.
The opposition Congress party termed the transfer of Salina Singh a result of its complaint regarding 60 lakh bogus voters in Madhya Pradesh. Leader of Opposition Ajay Singh Rahul said, "We have pointed out serious irregularities in the electoral rolls. Her removal just before four months of assembly elections is not a regular exercise."
However, sources in the election commission of India termed the transfer as a routine one. They explained that it is in accordance with the standing orders of the election commission that no officer, who has completed three years in the post, shall be deployed in the poll process. Salina Singh completed her three-year term in June.
During her tenure as the CEO, Salina Singh had been in news when she issued notices to BJP minister and chief minister for violating model code of conduct during Kolaras and Mungaoli assembly by-polls held in December last year. She also conducted a state-wide cleansing of electoral rolls by deleting over 11 lakh duplicate, dead or fake voters from the rolls.