Election Commission stays appointment of Army officer as SSP in J-K citing poll code

Citing Model Code of Conduct (MCC), the Election Commission (ECI) has put in abeyance the Jammu and Kashmir Administration’s order to appoint an Army Colonel as SSP (Training and Special Operations).

In its order to the J&K Chief Secretary, the ECI said there is a ban on transfer of officers connected to elections as MCC is in force in the Union Territory.

Without going into the rationale, process and urgency of posting of an Army officer as SSP in the civil side during the period of the operation of MCC, the Commission directed that the appointment order be kept in abeyance with immediate effect.

If the order has already been implemented, the status quo prior to its issuance must be restored immediately, the ECI said.

The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary has been instructed to submit a compliance report by 11 am on October 1, along with a detailed explanation on the rationale for issuing the order without obtaining the required clearance from the ECI.

The Colonel, Vikrant Prasher, belongs to the Indian Army’s Para, High Altitude Warfare School, Gulmarg.

Jammu and Kashmir is voting in three phases in Assembly elections. The third and final phase is scheduled for October 1. The votes will be counted on October 8.