Shamli DM shouldn’t be engaged in poll-related work for a year: EC

MEERUT: In a stern order, the Election Commission on Tuesday directed that Shamli district magistrate Inder Vikram Singh should “not be engaged in election-related work for a year” for “lapses on his part” as the returning officer during the crucial Kairana Lok Sabha bypoll held in May this year.
The crucial by-election saw a bitter electoral fight between BJP’s Mriganka Singh and RLD’s Tabassum Hasan, who was the consensus candidate of opposition Congress, Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party.
On the counting day, Hasan had won by a margin of 44,000 votes, but the DM withheld the result for eight hours as she lodged various complaints with the poll panel. Hasan was declared the winner only after recounting.
Hours after the EC directive on Tuesday, Singh was quietly relieved of his duties as the Shamli DM and was put on awaiting posting order. Akhilesh Singh has been appointed new DM of Shamli.
In a letter issued to Inder Vikram Singh, Dhananjay Shukla, special secretary, department of appointment and personnel, UP government, wrote, “The state government has decided to relieve you of your duties and has put you in the waiting list.”
While the government officials were tight-lipped over the reason of his sudden removal, the EC’s order is self-explanatory.
A source in EC told TOI, “He has been warned for the lapses committed during his supervision as the returning officer in Kairana bypoll and asked not be engaged in any poll-related work for a year.”
In a series of complaints to the EC about the DM’s role, members of SP-RLD alliance had cast doubt on his conduct during polling, counting as well as re-polling in the May elections.
Speaking to TOI Tabassum Hasan, Kairana MP who won the bypoll, said, “There were reports of faulty EVMs all around. While we were appalled, DM Inder Vikram Singh was not available during the entire day. We wanted re-polling in over 100 booths, but it was ordered in much less number of booths. In two assembly constituencies of Kairana Lok Sabha that fall in Saharanpur district – Gangoh and Nakud, repolling was conducted in 73 booths whereas in Shamli district comprising three assembly constituencies, repolling was conducted in only five places. The DM had his way. Even during the counting, Singh sent fudged figures of different rounds which was a clear indication that he wanted the BJP to win.”