Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024: Sharad Pawar, Nana Patole welcome EC decision to transfer DGP

Mumbai: Former Union minister Sharad Pawar on Monday welcomed the Election Commission’s decision to direct Maharashtra government to transfer DGP Rashmi Shukla with immediate effect after complaints from political parties.

“The Election Commission has taken the right decision. Such persons should not continue in the post,” Pawar told reporters in Mumbai.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray, who was present at the media briefing, also welcome the EC decision on Shukla.

Briefing reporters separately, state Congress president Nana Patole said his party had approached the EC three times seeking Shukla’s transfer, citing her alleged role in tapping phones of opposition politicians.

The poll body has directed the Maharashtra chief secretary to hand over Shukla's charge to the next senior-most IPS officer in the cadre.

The chief secretary has asked Mumbai police commissioner to hold the additional charge of the post, sources said.

On Maratha quota activist Manoj Jarange’s decision to stay away from the November 20 assembly polls, Pawar said nobody from Maha Vikas Aghadi has anything to do with Jarange’s decision.

Assembly Elections 2024 | The Maharashtra Assembly polls will take place against the backdrop of a fractured political landscape in the western state where the Shiv Sena and NCP will be going up against the Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar factions, even as the BJP and Congress try to make their mark. Meanwhile, in Jharkhand, the JMM faces a new challenge after Hemant Soren's recent arrest and Champai, a longstanding party member, joining the BJP. The Haryana election resulted in a shock loss for Congress, which was looking to galvanize on the Lok Sabha poll performance, while J&K also saw the grand old party eventually stepping away from the cabinet, with Omar Abdullah's JKNC forming government. It remains to be seen if the upcoming polls help BJP cement its position further or provide a fillip to I.N.D.I.A. Check live updates and track the latest coverage, live news, in-depth opinions, and analyses only on Deccan Herald.

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