BJP writes to ECI seeking transfer of officers in Shimla LS constituency to ensure 'free, fair elections'

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 26 (ANI): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit in Himachal Pradesh approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday, seeking the transfer of officers in the Shimla parliamentary constituency to ensure free and fair elections.
In a letter addressed to the Election Commissioner, the BJP state secretary stated, "With due regards, it is to brought to your kind notice that most of the officers, who are at the helm of affairs in conducting the elections in Shimla Parliamentary Constituency belong to Shimla and Solan Districts, and have been posted at their respective places of postings for more than three years."
"Notably, a few such officers are Superintendent of Police Shimla, who hails from Arki, District Solan. The Deputy Commissioner Shimla hails from Shoghi, District Shimla; the Deputy Commissioner Solan hails from Shimla and Deputy Commissioner Sirmour hails from Shimla," the letter further mentioned.
"Since elections to the Lok Sabha, as well as By-elections for the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, have been notified; thus, your good self is requested to immediately transfer all these officers to ensure free and fair elections in the State of Himachal Pradesh," it added.
Earlier this week, the BJP fielded six disqualified Congress rebel MLAs in the Assembly by-polls, days after they joined the party.
All six now disqualified Congress MLAs--Rajinder Singh Rana, Sudhir Sharma, Chaitanya Sharma, Ravi Thakur, Inder Dutt Lakhanpal, and Davinder Bhutto--cross-voted in the Rajya Sabha election in favour of BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan against Congress' senior leader Abhishek Mani Singhvi.
Apart from elections in four Lok Sabha constituencies, Himachal Pradesh will witness bypolls in six assembly constituencies, which were previously occupied by the rebel MLAs.
In the 68-member assembly constituency, the ruling Congress was in a comfortable majority with the support of 43 MLAs--40 of its own and three independents--after it won the 2022 assembly polls. The remaining 25 MLAs were from the BJP. (ANI)