CHENNAI: With about three weeks left until the Assembly polls, the Election Commission of India on Thursday ordered the transfer of Tamil Nadu’s Director General of Police in charge (Law and Order), G Venkataraman and appointed Sandeep Rai Rathore as head of the police force.

Venkataraman, a 1994-batch IPS officer, is being replaced by Rathore, a 1992-batch officer, who will now oversee all election-related policing in the state.

In a separate order, the ECI also effected several key police postings across Tamil Nadu. Tambaram City Police Commissioner A Amalraj has been replaced by Sanjay Kumar, a 1997-batch IPS officer. Abhishek Dixit, a 2006-batch IPS officer, was appointed as Madurai City Police Commissioner in the place of J Loganathan.

R V Ramya Bharathi, a 2008-batch IPS officer, has been asked to take charge as Inspector General of Police for the West Zone, headquartered in Coimbatore, A Saravanasundar.

The ECI has also posted A Arun Thamburaj as collector of Salem, replacing R Brindha Devi, and Vishnu Mahajan in the place of K Elambahavath as Thoothukudi collector.

All these officers will remain in their new posts until the Model Code of Conduct is in force in the state. The orders, issued by Election Commission secretary Lata Tripathi, directed the officers to assume charge and report by 11 am on Friday.