 "EC orders transfer of Chhindwara collector, IPS officer")
Mahesh Chandra Choudhary, district collector of high profile Lok Sabha seat of Chhindwara was transferred by the EC following complaints of main opposition Congress that he was misusing the official machinery in favour of BJP candidate Choudhary Chandrabhan Singh. Choudhary has been now appointed as deputy secretary in the state secretariat, and IAS officer Sanjeev Singh has been appointed as district collector Chhindwara.
"The Congress had complained against Choudhary for allegedly misusing the official machinery, following which he was transferred from Chhindwara, where Union Minister Kamal Nath is contesting against BJP's Choudhary Chandrabhan Singh," a Congress party source said.
EC also ordered transferred of IPS officer Sinhala Prasad daughter of a Lok Sabha seat candidate Bhagirath Prasad.
State home department has also been instructed for removal of Sinhala Prasad, daughter of BJP's Bhind candidate Bhagirath Prasad, who is posted as city superintendent of Azad Nagar in Indore. Also the state government, following election commission instructions, transferred deputy collector Khargone Jitendra Singh Chouhan who has some relations with an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate.
"The declarations filed by both the officers (Prasad and Jitendra Singh Chouhan) that they are related with candidates so they have been transferred," deputy chief electoral officer, V L Kanta Rao said here.
Earlier Khandwa collector Neeraj Dube, Ratlam collector Rajiv Dube and Jhabua collector Jaishree Kiyawat had been also transferred. The transfers were made after Congress moved the CEO and the Election Commission against the officers.
However, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has raised objections and had sent a letter to the Election Commission (EC) expressing his concern over the transfer of certain government officials. In his letter to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath, Chouhan said the EC's directives to transfer certain officials were compiled and necessary orders issued in this regard. The election commission had used to seek a panel of names from the state government for the transfer of a particular officer and then select a name from the panel.