Election Commission Mandates Transfer of Mumbai BMC Commissioner and Additional Commissioners
Mumbai, 28th February 2024: The Maharashtra state government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, has been taken aback by a decision from the Election Commission of India. In preparation for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission has mandated the transfer of officers who have completed three years of service at their current place of appointment. Despite the state government’s request to exclude the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner and Additional Municipal Commissioner from this directive, the Election Commission has turned down the proposal.
Consequently, the Maharashtra government is now obligated to transfer BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal, as well as Additional Municipal Commissioners Ashwini Bhide and P Velarasu, in compliance with the Election Commission’s decision.
With the Election Commission of India rejecting the Maharashtra state government’s request, the Eknath Shinde government is left with no alternative but to proceed with the transfer of officials. BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal is set to complete four years in the Mumbai Municipal Corporation on May 31, 2024, while BMC Additional Commissioners Ashwini Bhide and P Velarasu have also completed three years in their current roles.
The Maharashtra state government formally communicated its request to the Election Commission on February 26, seeking an exemption for BMC and Additional Municipal Commissioners from the criteria governing the transfer of officials. The rationale behind the request was that these officials were not directly involved in election-related tasks. Instead, they were engaged in infrastructure projects and preparations for the monsoon season. Despite the government’s efforts, the Election Commission has stood firm on its decision.
The Secretary of the Election Commission of India, in response to Maharashtra Election Commissioner Shrikant Deshpande’s letter dated February 26, stated that the letter did not comply with the Election Commission’s instructions issued on December 21. According to the guidelines from December 21, the Election Commission had directed the transfer of Chief Electoral Officers, Chief Secretaries, and equivalent officers who completed three years of service before January 31. This instruction also applied to officers appointed in Municipal Corporations and those engaged in development works as per the Election Commission’s directives.
Despite the state government’s request for exemptions for BMC Commissioner Iqbal Chahal and Additional Municipal Commissioners Ashwini Bhide and P Velarasu, the Election Commission rejected the appeal. Consequently, the state government has issued orders for the transfer of these officials. Notably, Iqbal Chahal is a 1989 batch IAS officer, Ashwini Bhide belongs to the 1995 batch, and P Velarasu is a 2002 batch IAS officer.
