Former Punjab Chief Minister Amrinder Singh today demanded replacement of the Chief Electoral Officer in the state, alleging that he is working under pressure of the Shiromani Akali Dal government.
"Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) V K Singh is absolutely zero and if he is unable to perform his duties effectively, he should quit or be replaced. These officers are scared of the Akali Dal government and working under its pressure," he said.
Rejecting the charge, Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal said the CEO was appointed by the Election Commission (EC) and not by the state government.
"We sent a panel twice. They (EC) rejected it. We then said appoint anyone. Then they said send name of this person and we sent it," Badal told reporters here when asked to respond on Singh's charge.
BJP candidate from Amritsar Arun Jaitley, who was also present at the press conference, said even members of the EC in the past had worked as officers in one or the other government.
"Those becoming Members of Election Commission have been officers who have worked under one or other government. But till date, in India, no one has been able to make any serious allegation against the EC," he said.
Singh has in the past alleged that the CEO was "biased" and that his actions were clearly to favour the ruling party.
