No transfers after Feb 20, Election Commission tells Karnataka

Chief Secretary calls meeting of department secretaries and top police officials

After the week-long high political drama, the state machinery is all set to get into election mode from Monday. Chief Secretary TM Vijaya Bhaskar has called a meeting of all department secretaries, Director General and Inspector General of Police and the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) discuss transfers of officials for election work.
The meeting will discuss the circular sent by the Election Commission (EC) on February 9 to all Chief Secretaries and CEOs of all states and Union Territories. The circular, a copy of which is with Bangalore Mirror, indicates that the deadline set for transfers of all officials involved in elections was advanced by a week.

The circular signed by commission’s principal secretary Narendra N Butolia said: “The Commission, in partial modification of the above instructions, has decided that transfers/postings of all officers covered under the aforesaid instructions shall be carried out by the State governments till 20.01.2019 and a compliance report shall be sent latest by 25.02.2019. (sic)’’

The Chief Secretary told BM that the meeting convened by him on Monday will discuss the EC circular. Heads of departments concerned have been asked to come up with details of number of vacancies for Returning Officers (RO), Assistant ROs (ARO), officials who have been posted for more than three years in a particular place in the last four years and officers posted in their native places. With just three working days to adhere the EC order, the state government is compelled to effect several transfers, including those of senior police and revenue officials during this time.

Earlier, the Commission had set February 28 deadline for all poll-related transfers and send the compliance report by March first week.

Asked what procedure will be adopted for transfers after February 20, Vijaya Bhaskar said that he will have to consult EC officials for clarity on the subject. “The CEO Karnataka will also attend the meeting on Monday. We will seek clarification from them,’’ the Chief Secretary said.



HDK is in a hurry

In a bid to quell discontent, Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy has decided to appoint JD(S) MLAs as heads of boards and coprorations.These appointments have to be made before in the next four to five days as the Election Comission will step into the picture after February 20. Sources said that almost all 27 MLAs will get to head boards and corporations with a Cabinet rank status. JD(S) has a total of 37 MLAs of which 10 are Ministers. As per the power-sharing formula with the Congress, the party can have 12 Ministers. Kumaraswamy, who was confident that none of his party MLAs would quit the party and join the BJP, got a rude shock when one of its MLAs Narayana Gowda from KR Pete in Mandya was found in Mumbai and was part of the Operation Lotus. A few other JD(S) MLAs were also being lured by the BJP.

Coalition partner, the Congress, has already appointed its MLAs as Parliamentary Secretaries, Chairpersons to boards and corporations.

LS polls in Karnataka on April 15-17?

EC sources told BM that the decision to advance transfers indicate that the poll notification could be out on March 5. Prime Minister Narendra Modi launches the NDA election campaign in Patna on March 3. It is indicated that Karnataka could go to polls between April 15 and 17 in the first phase.