The Election Commission of India (ECI) has transferred Coimbatore District Collector Rajamani and the city commissioner of police Sumit Sharan to non-election posts. It also directed the state government to appoint IAS officer S Nagarajan as the new District Collector, just weeks ahead of the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

In a communication to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary on March 23, the ECI stated that it has taken the decision to transfer the two officials based on various inputs received. The two officers will be posted to non-election posts with immediate effect. S Davidson Devasirvatham has been appointed as the Commissioner of Police, Coimbatore city with immediate effect.

S Nagarajan is currently the Director of the Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute and S Davidson Devasirvatham is currently the Additional Director General of Police, Technical Services. The elections to the Legislative Assembly of Tamil Nadu have been scheduled for April 6 and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in place in the state. Coimbatore’s Assembly constituencies have attracted the attention of many due to its high profile contests between the AIADMK, BJP, Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM), Congress and the DMK. In Coimbatore South, MNM chief and actor-politician Kamal Haasan will be contesting against BJP’s Vanathi Srinivasan and Congress’ Mayura Jayakumar.

Meanwhile, in Thondamuthur, state Municipal Administration Minister and AIADMK heavyweight SP Velumani is all set to clash against DMK’s Environmental Wing Secretary and Jallikattu activist Karthikeya Sivasenapathy.

With the number of COVID-19 cases in the state on the rise, the ECI has deputed two Health Department officers from Bihar to guide the State’s Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo to arrange and supervise the elections. Bihar’s Assembly Elections were held amid a severe pandemic situation in November 2020.

The counting of votes for the Tamil Nadu elections will take place on May 2.