J&K polls: 23 govt officials suspended, 6 ad hoc employees disengaged from services for MCC violations

JAMMU: Twenty-three government employees were suspended and services of six ad-hoc and casual labourers were discontinued for taking part in election campaigning in Jammu and Kashmir , an official said on Monday. The action was taken to ensure transparency in the ongoing assembly elections in the Union Territory.

"Taking cognizance of participation of government employees in election campaigning and related political activities, 23 officials were suspended besides disengaging six contractual and ad hoc employees for violating Model code of conduct (MCC) guidelines," Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) P K Pole said.

Twenty more employees have also been shifted from their current offices to other tehsils or districts over complaints that they have acted in a partisan way, he said.

In the second phase of elections, as many as 21 government employees were suspended and five ad-hoc and casual labourers were disengaged from service for taking part in election campaigning in Jammu and Kashmir.

The intense campaign for the third and final phase of polling in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election concluded on Sunday evening, with major political parties, particularly the BJP , Congress, NC and PDP, engaging in fierce exchanges over critical issues, including Article 370, terrorism, Pakistan and reservation.

Voting for this crucial phase, covering 40 assembly segments across seven districts - Jammu, Udhampur, Samba and Kathua in the Jammu region and Baramulla, Bandipora and Kupwara in north Kashmir - is scheduled for October 1.

The electoral fate of 415 candidates, including former deputy chief ministers Tara Chand (Congress) and Muzaffar Baig, are at stake in this phase.