Jharkhand Chief Secretary L. Khiangte who holds additional charge of Home and DGP Ajay Kumar Singh are facing the heat of the Election Commission of India. 

Today, two days after announcing the 2024 Lok Sabha elections schedule -ECI has ordered the removal of top officials including DGP and Home Secretaries of several states including Jharkhand and the West Bengal. 

Khiangte is from the state of Mizoram and belongs to a tribal community. He who took charge as the 24th Chief Secretary of Jharkhand, is due to retire on October 31, 2024.

Notably, senior IAS officer Avinash Kumar was removed as the Additional Chief Secretary of the Home Department in Jharkhand of on January 31, the day Hemant Soren was arrested by the ED in a land scam case.

Jharkhand IPS officer Ajay Kumar Singh was appointed as DGP by ex CM Hemant Soren on February 15,2023. Also the ECI has ordered the removal of Rajeev Kumar, DGP, West Bengal.  

More,Home secretaries in six states, namely Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, have also been directed to be removed. Additionally, secretaries of the general administrative departments in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh are among those removed. 

The ECI, under CEC Rajiv Kumar, also ordered the removal of Brihanmumbai municipal commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal, along with additional commissioners and deputy commissioners. 

As per the PTI report, ECI had instructed all state governments to transfer officers involved in election-related duties if they have served for three years or are stationed in their home districts. 

The Election Commission has asked for the names of three officers by 5 pm to select a new DGP of West Bengal.