The Election Commission (EC) clarified on Thursday that reports suggesting its approval for the extension of Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains’ term by a month were false. Bains’ term as the state chief secretary is scheduled to end on November 30. With the model code of conduct still in force after the state assembly elections on November 17, any decision regarding Bains’ term extension must receive approval from the Election Commission.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the office of the Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Anupam Rajan stated that a piece of fake news circulating on social media claimed that the Election Commission had approved the extension, but the clarification emphasized that no such approval had been granted.
Bains, a trusted aide of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, has previously received two extensions of six months each, cleared by the Centre at the state government’s request.
Sources indicate that any decision on extending Bains’ term will require the Election Commission’s approval, considering the ongoing model code of conduct. The EC’s nod is essential for appointing a senior bureaucrat to the top bureaucratic post. If Bains does not receive another extension, the EC may designate the senior-most official in the state as the chief secretary. The counting of votes for the state assembly polls is scheduled for December 3, 2023.
