Punjab CEO issues notices to state over Cong complaints

The Punjab chief electoral officer (CEO) has issued notices to the state government over a set of three complaints filed by state Congress in the run up to the Moga bypolls.

In one of the three complaints, the PPCC has demanded the transfer of IGP Jatinder Kumar Jain out of the state for the duration of the elections. Terming Jain as the "blue-eyed" official of the SAD-BJP regime, the Congress — in its complaint to the Election Commission on January 14 — has claimed that the officer will make all attempts to influence votes in favour of the SAD-BJP candidate in Moga. If he is not transferred out of Punjab, "he will play havoc with norms of democracy", it added. Jain is currently the Bathinda IG (Intelligence).

In another complaint on the same day, the Congress has objected to the appointment of Dilbagh Singh as the SP and Gurdip Singh as the DSP of Moga. Claiming that these two are also the blue-eyed officers of the SAD-BJP government and have been posted in the district to influence voters, the party said: "These officers by virtue of official positions at Moga would certainly be in a commanding position to satisfy the aims of the political bosses by garnering votes for the SAD-BJP candidate in Moga."

Issuing notice to Principal Secretary (Home) D S Bains, the CEO has asked him to get these complaints examined. Bains said: I am in Delhi and will get to see the complaints tomorrow when I am back."

In yet another complaint, the Congress, while claiming that the CM's office is likely to use sangat darshan programmes to announce sops, has urged the EC to instruct the government not to hold such meetings till the bypoll is over.

The CEO, in response, has asked the Principal Secretary to the CM, S K Sandhu, to ensure that the concern of the Opposition party is taken care of. Sandhu said: "While no sangat darshan had taken place in Moga recently, and now such meetings are being planned due to the elections."

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