Chennai’s political landscape heated up just before the Tamil Nadu legislative elections as the Election Commission acted on a DMK grievance, stripping Sandeep Mittal of his role as head of the state’s Anti-Corruption Bureau. The swift removal aims to neutralize perceptions of favoritism in the bureaucracy amid heightened election scrutiny.
With the Model Code of Conduct activated following poll announcements for five states, the ECI has been proactive in reshuffling key positions to prevent any undue influence. This latest transfer builds on previous ones: Chief Secretary Muruganandam was moved, alongside Anti-Corruption DGP Davidson Devasirvatham and Chennai’s top cop.
Sai Kumar stepped in as Chief Secretary, and Mittal was initially placed in charge of anti-graft operations. Manivasan, from the Tourism and Endowments department, became the new Home Secretary, succeeding Dhiraj Kumar. These changes were designed to instill administrative equilibrium.
Trouble brewed soon after when DMK’s D.R. Balu filed a detailed complaint, pointing to Mittal’s alleged pro-BJP and RSS sympathies evidenced by old social media activity. Balu also flagged derogatory remarks on Islam and leftist views, alongside corruption allegations, demanding his immediate ouster and threatening court action if ignored.
The Election Commission, prioritizing electoral neutrality, complied by removing Mittal. Analysts see this as a pivotal affirmation of the Commission’s resolve to conduct transparent elections in Tamil Nadu, potentially setting a precedent for handling similar complaints in other states.
