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Ranchi, 4 October (HS). The Central Election Commission has written a letter to the Chief Secretary of the state expressing strong objection to the appointment of Manjunath Bhajantri as Ranchi DC, calling it a violation of the order of the Jharkhand High Court. The Commission has asked the Chief Secretary to comply with the High Court's order of December 6, 2021, in which it had removed the then DC of Deoghar Manjunath Bhajantri from the post, taking departmental action and posting him on a post related to election work without the permission of the Commission. Was ordered not to do it. Also, the Commission has ordered the Chief Secretary to send the action taken report to the Commission within 15 days.
The Election Commission has written in its letter that in the Madhupur by-election, the then DC was removed from the post of Deputy Commissioner on April 26, 2021 due to presenting different figures in the Commission's Voter Turnout App and press conference, but the conduct After the expiry of the Code, the government had ordered to appoint him again to the post of Deoghar DC. About six months later, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) sent the report to the Commission.
In this report, the CEO said that after the end of the code of conduct, the DC filed an FIR against MP Nishikant Dubey on charges of violating the code of conduct. The Election Commission had sought clarification from the DC on the report of the CEO, but after not receiving a satisfactory reply, on December 6, 2021, the Commission ordered the removal of the Deputy Commissioner and not to post him in election related work in future without the permission of the Commission. But still the government did not remove him from the post.
The Election Commission has written in the letter that on December 23, 2021, a letter was written to the Commission on behalf of the Personnel Department. It was said that the Commission should withdraw its order. Because, the Commission does not have the right to give such an order after the code of conduct expires. Such an order affects the sovereignty of the state. After this, the Commission sent a letter on December 15, 2022, seeking the opinion of the Chief Secretary in this matter but he did not give his opinion. After this, on December 26, 2022, the work of District Election Officer was withdrawn from Manjunath Bhajantri and he was handed over to DDC.
It is noteworthy that in the Madhupur by-election, the Election Commission had ordered the removal of Manjunath Bhajantri from the post of Deputy Commissioner on December 6, 2021 for presenting different figures in the voter turnout app of the Commission and in the press conference by the then DC. Manjunath Bhajantri had filed a petition (5716/22) in the High Court challenging the order of the Commission. In the petition, Manjunath Bhajantri had termed the Election Commission's order as against the rules. The single bench accepted Bhajantri's petition. After this the Commission filed LPA (244/24) in the High Court against the decision of the Single Bench.
After the hearing, the High Court gave its verdict on September 30 and declared the Election Commission's order correct. The court had said in the order that not obeying the order of the commission is tantamount to attacking the basic structure of the Constitution. It is binding on the state to follow his instructions.