TN Chief Electoral officer Sandeep Saxena on his way out, likely to join EC

Chennai: Under opposition scrutiny for his role in the R K Nagar by polls, which CM Jayalalithaa won by a huge margin, chief electoral officer Sandeep Saxena is on his way out. The 1989 batch officer is expected to move on promotion to the centre.

With legislative assembly elections scheduled next year, the news of Saxena likely to be promoted to the Election Commission of India has taken many by surprise.

Confidential sources with the state public elections department and the Election Commission of India (ECI) confirmed that the top officer is certainly on his way out to Delhi. Orders to this effect are expected in the next couple of days.

Saxena was under the spotlight during the R K Nagar by polls in June. The DMK had levied allegations that the names of a number of their supporters were missing from the electoral rolls. The opposition has since been demanding the ouster of Saxena alleging poll violations in the by-poll.

Also, a petition challenging the by-poll was filed by the civic activist Traffic Ramasamy and is pending before the Madras High Court.

However, when DC contacted Saxena, the top officer maintained that still he is a CEO. “I have not got any government orders in this regard from the election commission so far. Till now I am continuing as the CEO and will be meeting the press in a couple of days”, Saxena said.

Saxena, a 1989-batch officer and a graduate in civil engineering earlier was a successful principal secretary heading the state agriculture department and also won central accolades during his brief stint.