A controversy broke out on Monday over the transfer of a poll observer who allegedly ordered the stopping of a motorcycle rally of Congress campaigner and Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra on the charge of violating the model code of conduct.
Chief Election Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi, however, maintained that the transfer of IAS officer Pawan Sen was not linked to the incident, and his shift to Goa, which too goes to the polls, has been put on hold till February 19, when polling will be held in Amethi.
Mr. Vadra was stopped while he was heading for the Salon area for using more vehicles than the permitted number of 10, District Magistrate J.P. Gupta said.
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Mr. Sen had also ordered the filing of an FIR against the local Congress candidate.
Mr. Quraishi told PTI that “today's incident is unrelated to the observer's transfer. It has nothing to do with it. The Election Commission had, during its meeting this morning, decided that Sen be posted as Deputy Commissioner in South Goa, after complaints from various political parties about the conduct of the present DC in South Goa, who was earlier the Chief Minister's Principal Secretary.”