Bhopal, Nov 23 (PTI) The Election Commission on Thursday made it clear that reports about it giving an approval to extend Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary Iqbal Singh Bains' term by a month were false.

Bains' term as the state chief secretary is ending on November 30.

As the model code of conduct for the state assembly elections, held in a single phase on November 17, is still in force, any decision regarding Bains' term extension will have to be approved by the Election Commission.

Taking to X, the office of the Madhya Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Anupam Rajan said, 'A fake news is being shared on social media that Election Commission has given approval to the extension of tenure of Chief Secretary of Madhya Pradesh, who is about to superannuate. It is clarified that no such approval has been given by the Commission.' When asked about it, CEO Ranjan told PTI, 'I have already stated on X that the information that the EC has extended Bains' tenure as fake news.' Bains, a trusted hand of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has got two extensions of six months each earlier. At the request of the state government, the Centre had cleared these extensions in the past.

According to sources, any decision regarding extension of Bains' term will have to be taken after the EC's approval in view of the model code of conduct.

For appointing a senior bureaucrat to the top bureaucratic post, the EC's nod is necessary, they said.

If Bains does not get 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 will be taken up on December 3. PTI LAL MAS NP