The Election Commission of India has made several transfers of top bureaucrats, including Hyderabad City Police Commissioner C V Anand, Warangal Police Commissioner Ranganath, and Nizamabad Police Commissioner V Satyanarayana, as well as four district collectors. These officers were found to have unsatisfactory performance and were suspected of being involved in illegal activities such as the supply of liquor as a possible inducement for the upcoming elections. The transferred officials have been instructed to hand over their responsibilities to their immediate juniors, and the state government has been directed to send replacement officers by Thursday evening. The Election Commission is prioritizing the prevention of the movement and distribution of liquor, cash, drugs, and freebies to ensure fair and inducement-free elections.
The Commissioners of Police in Hyderabad, Warangal, and Nizamabad were transferred based on performance assessments and relevant inputs. Additionally, four District Election Officers (DEOs) in Telangana – Rangareddy, Medchal Malkajgiri, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, and Nirmal districts – were also transferred. Complaints of money power misuse during a recent by-election in Munugode assembly seat in Telangana were taken into consideration by the Election Commission. The ECI also transferred other officials including the State Transport Secretary Srinivasarajulu, Excise Commissioner and Secretary Musharaf Ali Farooqui, and district collectors from Rangareddy, Medchal, Yadadri, and Nirmal.
The State government has been given 24 hours to provide a panel of names to replace the transferred officials. In total, 13 SPs and police commissioners were transferred in Telangana, with nine of them being non-cadre police officers. Four DEOs from Rangareddy, Medchal Malkajgiri, Yadadri Bhuvangiri, and Nirmal districts were also among the officials transferred.
