EC orders transfer of top UP bureaucrats

New Delhi, Mar 14 (UNI) The Election Commission (EC) today ordered the transfer of top Uttar Pradesh bureaucrats ahead of assembly elections in the state.

At a high-level meeting held here, the EC decided that the state machinery needed a reshuffle to ensure that polls are held in a free and fair manner.

As a part of its initiative, the EC panel asked the state chief secretary to ensure replacement of top bureaucrats including director general of police, additional DGP (law and order) and home secretary. The deadline for submitting new names is 1000 hrs tomorrow.

District magistrates of Etah and Saharanpur; IG of Kanpur, commissioner and SSP of Meerut were also among the proposed names.

Most top guns being replaced are from the Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's camp and were present at a party function that was held in Lucknow last October.

The UP assembly polls will be conducted in seven phases between April 7 and May 8. As many 62 consituencies will go to polls in the first phase.

The polls will witness a four-cornered contest with the incumbent Samajwadi Party making a concerted effort to retain power and the Mayawati-led Bahujan Samaj Party trying to emerge as the single largest party.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress will be the two other main contenders in the race.

UNI