HYDERABAD: In the light of law and order problems in the seven naxal-infested districts of Telangana, the Director General of Police, M Mahender Reddy requested the Telangana Chief Electoral Officer to complete the polling process early in those areas.
“We have received a request from the DGP and examining the issue and would take a decision after bringing the issue to the notice of Election Commission of India (ECI) officials,” said Rajat Kumar, CEO.
Obstructions of election meetings by others would be seriously dealt with, he said. He told them that he was receiving a number of complaints that election meetings were being disturbed or obstructed in Karimnagar, Khammam, Medak among other districts.
In an order issued by him here on Tuesday, reiterating the rule position, he said, “causing obstruction or disturbance to an election public meeting by any act in any manner” is a cognizable offence as per Section 127 of the Representation of Peoples Act. Interacting with reporters here today, CEO asked District Election Officers (DEOs) to take action on those disturbing election meetings.
He directed all the District Collectors, District Election Officers and Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation to take action as per law, against those causing disturbance or obstructions to any election public meeting. In this connection, he said, the DEOs may also invoke other relevant rules and provisions of IPC, CrPC etc to see that political meetings are held peacefully in the period leading up to the polls.
For a smooth conduct of ensuing Assembly polls in Telangana on December 7, Rajat Kumar said that as many as 1.50 lakh polling staff would be deployed across the 32,542 polling stations in the state.
As there is likelihood of more auxiliary polling stations, the CEO office has written a letter to the ECI to permit them to have 1,400 voters for one polling station in rural areas instead of 1,200 on the lines of urban areas. In the light tandas merging into panchayats, some parties and others demanded to establish new polling stations which was ruled out as it lead to certain issues.
Regarding to the notices slapped on TRS party on holding of political related meeting in Pragathi Bhavan, Rajat Kumar said that they have yet to receive reply from them, if they fail to reply, they same would be brought to the notice of the Election Commission of India.