Poll panel keep in abeyance transfer of 18 Assam cops

The Election Commission on Saturday kept in abeyance the Assam government's orders transferring 12 IPS and six Assam Police Service (APS) officers, who were transferred and posted elsewhere following an order on Friday.

Assam's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nitin Khade said that with the announcement of the schedule of elections to Assemblies of Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry, the provisions of Model Code of Conduct has come into force with immediate effect, which includes total ban on the transfers and postings of all officers connected with conduct of elections.

"It has come to the notice of the Commission that the Assam government has on Friday ordered the transfer of 12 IPS and 6 APS officers. The Commission has therefore decided to keep the transfer and posting of these police officers in abeyance till further orders," the CEO said in a statement.

According to the schedule announced by Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora in New Delhi on Friday, voting in Assam will be held in three phases on March 27, April 1 and 6.

In all 2,32,44,454 voters are eligible to cast their votes this time while the number of eligible voters were 1,98,66,496 in last time (2016).