Senior IAS officer Mukesh Kumar Meena, who was at the helm of the Election Commission of India in Andhra Pradesh as the chief electoral officer (CEO) during the recent assembly elections in the state, got the plum posting in the newly-formed Chandrababu Naidu government.
Meena was on Friday appointed as the principal secretary of excise, with full additional charge of commerce and industries department.
He will have complete control over liquor revenue, besides attracting business and industrial establishments to the state.
In his place, the government appointed another senior officer Vivek Yadav, who was till recently the commissioner of AP capital region development authority (APCRDA). Vivek Yadav would now act as the CEO, maybe till the next elections.
This is a sort of promotion for Meena, who has been pushed into loopline during the Jagan Mohan Reddy government till recently.
There is a talk that Meena had indirectly helped the TDP and its allies by imposing a lot of restrictions on the YSR Congress party, the previous ruling party – whether it is preventing the village/ward volunteers from taking part in the election duties or distribution of pensions ahead of polling.
He was also allegedly favouring the TDP and its alliance partners by recommending transfer of IAS and IPS officers, besides field-level police officials on the charges of favouring the YSRCP.
Meena also took swift action in booking cases against the YSRCP leaders alleging that they were indulging in pre-poll violence and sparing the opposition party leaders.
He also imposed several restrictions on the YSRCP campaigning but ignored the complaints from the YSRCP against the TDP.
There might be several reasons for the defeat of Jagan Mohan Reddy in the elections, but the CEO also played a crucial role in it.
Maybe that is the reason why Naidu had benefitted him by giving him a plump post!
