TNI Bureau: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday ordered immediate transfer of senior Odisha bureaucrat Sujata R. Karthikeyan to a non-public dealing department following complaints of alleged misuse of public office.

Sujata Karthikeyan, an IAS officer and wife of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader V.K. Pandian was in the post of commissioner cum secretary of Mission Shakti department in Odisha.

Earlier today, the central unit of BJP leaders including Nirmala Sitharaman, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Sudhanshu Trivedi and Om Pathak alleged Sujata Pandian of misusing authority, government machinery and manpower for electoral gains of Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

BJP demanded that the official should not be assigned any public dealing till the conclusion of the 2024 Elections in Odisha.