Bhubaneswar: The Election Commission of India (ECI) Thursday ordered the transfer of Sujata R. Karthikeyan, IAS, wife of powerful BJD leader V.K. Pandian, from the post of Secretary to the Mission Shakti Department of Odisha.
According to reports in the national media, Ms Karthikeyan, Commissioner cum Secretary, Department of Mission Shakti, has been ordered to be transferred to a non-public dealing department with immediate effect.
Earlier today, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had urged the ECI to relieve Ms. Karthikeyan from the post, and a high-level BJP delegation submitted a memorandum in this regard with the ECI in New Delhi.
According to the memorandum, the Odisha Mission Shakti department was allegedly compelling and coercing SHGs to propagate and influence voters to choose BJD in the upcoming Parliamentary and legislative elections.
The delegation alleged that Ms Karthikeyan indulged in grave misconduct through the misuse of authority, government machinery, and manpower for influencing voters through the ‘SVEEP’ program to ensure electoral gains for the BJD.
