Election Commission has issued transfer orders for non-cadre officers who are posted as District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police in four states namely Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha and West Bengal. The decision was taken after the commission convened a meeting chaired by Chief ELection Commissioner Rajiv Kumar along with Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.

Additionally, the Commission has also directed for transfer of SSP Bathinda in Punjab and SP Sonitpur in Assam in view of their kinship or familial association with the elected political representatives. The officials in these two districts have been transferred as pre-emptive measures to dispel any apprehensions of administration being biased or perceived to be compromised. The Commission has directive, the respective state governments to promptly transfer non-encadred officers from their current roles as DM and SP with immediate effect.