ECI orders transfer of key officials in five States

Hinting at assembly polls ‘early next year’, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday directed Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to transfer certain categories of officers directly involved in election-related work ahead of the 2027 Assembly polls.

The directive comes after the poll body recently ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 17 states, including the five poll-bound states, and indicated that Assembly polls there could be held early next year. It is usual for the poll body to order transfers ahead of Lok Sabha and assembly elections to ensure fair play. In a communication, the ECI said officers posted in their home districts, those who have completed three years in a district in the last four years, or will do so by May 31, 2027, in case of UP, must be posted out.

While the term of the 493-member UP assembly ends on May 22, 2027, the terms of 60-member Manipur, 40-member Goa, 117-member Punjab and 70-member Uttarakhand assemblies end on different dates in March 2027. Provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, allow the ECI to hold polls “earlier than six months before the term expires”. A team of senior ECI officials is in Chandigarh to oversee poll preparedness in Punjab, where assembly elections are likely to be held “early next year” along with UP, Uttarakhand, Manipur and Goa. The ECI team led by a senior deputy election commissioner is holding meetings with enforcement agencies.

The instructions will also cover district-level administrative officers such as additional district magistrates, sub-divisional magistrates, deputy collectors, joint collectors, tehsildars and block development officers, along with divisional commissioners, municipal commissioners and officers deputed to municipal corporations and development authorities.

In police department, directions will cover senior officers, including inspector generals, deputy inspector generals, commissioners of police, superintendents of police, deputy commissioners of police. The Commission has also directed that transfer orders involving officials engaged in Special Summary Revision of photo electoral rolls should be issued and implemented only after the final publication of the electoral rolls, in consultation with Chief Electoral Officer.