New Delhi, Oct. 28 -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday directed the governments of Goa, Manipur, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand to transfer certain categories of officers connected to election work, marking a procedural step that usually paves the way for assembly elections. All five states are scheduled to go to the polls in early 2027. In a letter to the chief secretaries and chief electoral officers of the five states, ECI said officers posted in their home districts, those who have completed three years in a district in the last four years, or will do so by May 31, 2027, in the case of Uttar Pradesh, must be transferred. The cut-off date for completing three years is March 31, 2027, for Goa, Manipur, Punjab and Uttarakhand, and May 31, 2027, for Uttar Pradesh. Five years ago, this order was issued on October 13, 2021 and the assembly elections eventually announced on January 8, 2022 and conducted between February 10 and March 27. P4...