Fair elections in Maharashtra not possible under DGP Rashmi Shukla, claims Shiv Sena

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Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut on Friday raised concerns over the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election, asserting that a fair and impartial election process would not be feasible under the leadership of Director General of Police (DGP) Rashmi Shukla. Raut alleged Shukla's bias in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and questioned her neutrality as the head of the state police force.

Speaking to reporters, Raut stated, "There are serious allegations against the state's DGP Rashmi Shukla. In 2019, when our government was in the process of being formed, this DGP, who was directly aligned with the BJP, was reportedly tapping our phones and providing information to Devendra Fadnavis about our plans."

Raut expressed scepticism about Shukla's capacity to oversee a fair electoral process, noting, "Can we expect her to conduct fair elections? We have communicated that the management of elections should not be left to her. However, the Election Commission has responded by saying they lack the authority to transfer her. How is this possible when the DGP in Jharkhand was replaced in a similar situation? Maharashtra's election is under threat of being influenced by police pressure."

Adding further to the opposition's appeal, Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole addressed Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar in a formal letter on Thursday, calling for the removal of DGP Shukla from her post due to what he described as her "clear bias" against opposition parties. Patole's letter highlighted a concerning rise in political violence aimed at opposition leaders, allegedly occurring within the past 20 days.

Dated October 31, the letter states, "Please refer to our prior letters dated 24th September 2024 and 4th October 2024, both advocating for Rashmi Shukla's removal as Maharashtra's Director General of Police. The Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition reiterated this request during a briefing with the Election Commission of India (ECI) on 27th September 2024."

The letter elaborated on the mounting requests for Shukla's removal, citing "repeated oral representations and press conferences." Patole underscored the contrast between Maharashtra and Jharkhand, where the DGP was swiftly replaced following the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), while Maharashtra's DGP remained unaffected. He stated, "Over the past 20 days, there has been a marked rise in political violence against opposition parties, with a significant deterioration in the law and order situation. DGP Shukla has shown evident bias against Congress, Shiv Sena (UBT), and NCP(SP), as demonstrated by her prior conduct, including illegal phone tapping of opposition leaders during her tenure as Commissioner of Police in Pune and as Commissioner of the State Intelligence Department (SID)."

The Maharashtra Assembly elections are set for November 20, with counting scheduled for November 23 across all 288 constituencies. In the previous 2019 assembly elections, the BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena 56, and Congress 44. Five years earlier, in 2014, the BJP had secured 122 seats, the Shiv Sena 63, and the Congress 42.

The opposition's insistence on Shukla's removal underscores an ongoing debate about impartiality within the state's police force as Maharashtra prepares for what is anticipated to be a closely contested election. Both Shiv Sena and Congress, part of the MVA coalition, have highlighted Shukla's alleged partisan conduct as a central issue, suggesting that her continued role as DGP could compromise the fairness of the democratic process.

As per ANI, the opposition has made it clear that it will continue to press for her transfer in hopes of ensuring an unbiased environment for the forthcoming assembly elections. Meanwhile, security officials are likely to be monitoring the situation closely to safeguard public trust in the electoral process.