The Election Commission and the Mulayam government in the state appears to be heading for a showdown on the transfer of officials while the code of conduct is in force.The Commission has directed the state to transfer Varanasi SSP Subash Chand to a ‘‘place where the officer has nothing to do with the election process’’. The officer has been removed apparently for relieving Varanasi ASP, Gyaneshwar Tiwari, despite directives from the EC not to enforce any transfer after imposition of the code of conduct.Though the Commission had asked the government not to relieve the ASP, the SSP did just the opposite when he got directives for the same from the state police headquarter in Lucknow. ‘‘The SSP has been transferred,’’ Chief Electoral Officer Vijay Sharma said. Commission sources said that a strict vigil is being kept on officials during the election days to ensure their political leanings do not affect the poll process. ‘‘We have already prepared a list of officers in key constituencies where they have been operating to benefit a particular outfit,’’ an official said.
