New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram, March 17 (IANS) The Election Commission of India on Tuesday ordered changes in a series of key administrative and police postings in Kerala ahead of the 2026 Legislative Assembly elections.

The state goes to the polls on April 9 to elect 140 new legislators to the Kerala Legislative Assembly. The votes will be counted on May 4.

According to a statement it said this was done after reviewing election readiness and the Election Commission directed immediate transfers and postings of five senior officers.

The changes includes Narayanan Indian Police Service (2011 batch, DIG rank) has been appointed as District Police Chief of Kozhikode.

Thomson Jose (2009 batch) will take charge as DIG of the Thrissur range.

On the administrative side, Inbasekhar Indian Administrative Service (2015 batch) has been posted as District Collector cum District Election Officer of Alappuzha.

In Kannur S. Vandana has been appointed as Revenue Divisional Officer of Thaliparamba in Kannur.

She will also serve as Returning Officer for the Irikkur constituency.

Sachin Krishna has been posted as District Registrar General, Kannur.

He will also act as Returning Officer for the Dharmadam constituency which is the home turf of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The Election Commission has directed that all postings be implemented immediately.

The poll panel has also pointed out the need for a neutral and efficient administrative set-up ahead of the polls in the state.

The Election Commission has asked the state government to submit a compliance report confirming that the officers have taken charge by 11 AM on March 18.

The Election Commission has also said that officers who have been transferred out should not be given any election related duties until the entire poll process is over.

Recently, in a similar exercise in poll-bound West Bengal, the Election Commission had on Monday announced the replacement of key police officers in West Bengal, including the acting Director General of Police (DGP) Peeyush Pandey and Kolkata Police Commissioner Supratim Sarkar.

Earlier, the poll panel had on Sunday night ordered the transfers of Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakraborty, and Home Secretary, Jagdish Prasad Meena.

–IANS

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