The state unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday, demanding the immediate transfer of senior IPS officer Hemant Nimbalkar. The reason for this demand is that Nimbalkar’s wife, Anjali Nimbalkar, is contesting the upcoming Lok Sabha elections from the Uttara Kannada seat as a Congress candidate.
In a letter to the ECI, the BJP has demanded that Nimbalkar be relieved from all election-related duties, citing a potential conflict of interest. Nimbalkar is currently serving as the commissioner of the Department of Information and Public Relations. His appointment to this position came after the Congress government came to power in Karnataka.
Anjali Nimbalkar had previously contested from the Khanapur seat in the last Assembly elections but was defeated by Vithal Halagekar of the BJP.
After submitting the complaint, BJP MLC C Narayanaswamy stated that they have urged the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Karnataka to depute Nimbalkar to another state. The BJP fears that Nimbalkar may use his power or influence to affect the outcome of the general elections.
The BJP’s move highlights the party’s concern over ensuring a level playing field in the elections, especially in constituencies where candidates have close ties to influential government officials. The ECI has yet to respond to the BJP’s complaint.
