Chandigarh— In a strong rebuttal to the Punjab State SC Commission’s recent order, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab has written to the Commission, objecting to its decision to summon two key election officials amid the ongoing Tarn Taran Assembly bypoll. The CEO termed the move as interference in the conduct of free and fair elections.
The objection came after the Commission issued a communication on November 4, summoning the Returning Officer-cum-SDM Tarn Taran and the District Election Officer (DEO)-cum-Deputy Commissioner Tarn Taran to Chandigarh.
In the letter addressed to the Commission’s Chairman, the CEO cited Article 324 of the Constitution, which vests the superintendence, direction, and control of all elections to Parliament and State Legislatures solely with the Election Commission of India (ECI). The CEO also referenced Section 13CC of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and Section 28A of the 1951 Act, clarifying that officials on election duty are deemed to be on deputation to the Election Commission and fall exclusively under its “control, superintendence, and discipline.”
The letter further cautioned that summoning election officials during the crucial poll period — with voting in Tarn Taran scheduled for November 11, 2025 — could “cause interference in the conduct of the election and amount to undue influence.”
The CEO’s office formally urged the SC Commission to withdraw the order and refrain from any steps that could disrupt the ongoing electoral process.
This exchange comes amid escalating political tension after Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring allegedly made controversial remarks about late Union Home Minister Buta Singh, which led to the registration of an FIR under the SC Act against Warring.
