Khaira slams State Election Commission over delay on ARO removal

Sukhpal Singh Khaira, MLA from the Bholath constituency in Kapurthala, has sharply criticised the State Election Commission (SEC), accusing it of intentionally delaying the removal of the area’s Assistant Returning Officer (ARO).

Khaira alleged that the SEC’s inaction allowed the ARO to reject the nomination papers of six Congress candidates for the upcoming Block Committee elections, raising what he described as “serious doubts” over the fairness of the electoral process.

According to Khaira, the SEC issued an order on December 10, 2025, removing Bholath EO-cum-ARO Randeep Wadaich from election-related duties. However, he argued that the decision came far too late, as Wadaich had already completed the scrutiny of nomination papers—during which all six Congress candidates were disqualified. Calling the timing of the order “mischievous and intentionally delayed,” Khaira claimed that the purpose of rejecting the Congress nominations had “already been accomplished.”

The MLA further asserted that the delayed action suggested possible administrative collusion or deliberate negligence. He said the SEC should have acted promptly on a complaint lodged ten days earlier, especially considering that Wadaich had previously been found guilty by the Election Commission of India during the Ludhiana West Assembly by polls.

Khaira questioned why no immediate steps were taken despite the ARO’s tainted record and why the removal order was issued only after the nominations had already been rejected. He demanded an immediate clarification from the SEC, alleging that the sequence of events indicated potential political motivation behind the delay.