Mumbai: Senior IPS officer Rashmi Shukla was reinstated as the Director General of Police (DGP) of Maharashtra on Monday. Earlier, on November 4, she was temporarily transferred by the Election Commission of India (ECI) ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly elections. The poll body had instructed the state’s Chief Secretary to hand over her charge to the next senior-most IPS officer in the cadre. Following her transfer, IPS Sanjay Kumar Verma was appointed as the acting DGP.
Rashmi Shukla, a 1988 batch IPS officer, is the first woman to hold the position of Maharashtra DGP. Before this, she had served as the Commissioner of the State Intelligence Department. Her transfer during the elections was perceived as a temporary measure in light of the poll code of conduct.
In the recently concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections, the Mahayuti Alliance achieved a landslide victory, winning 230 of the 288 assembly seats. As per the Election Commission's announcement on Saturday, the BJP secured 132 seats, while its allies—the Shiv Sena faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the NCP faction led by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar—bagged 57 and 41 seats, respectively.
Amid ongoing discussions about the next Chief Minister, current Deputy Chief Minister and two-time CM Devendra Fadnavis is seen as a strong contender for the post. Rashmi Shukla’s reappointment as DGP has added fuel to the speculation, given her perceived closeness to Fadnavis.
Meanwhile, the Congress party has demanded stringent action against Rashmi Shukla. On Monday, it approached the Election Commission, accusing her of violating the Model Code of Conduct by allegedly meeting Fadnavis during the elections. Congress’ chief spokesperson claimed that Shukla is involved in several serious allegations, including phone tapping of opposition leaders. The party had earlier demanded her removal during the elections, which was subsequently acted upon.
