Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Bhanwar Lal said that strict vigil would be maintained against State Ministers who are participating in the election campaigns. He said video teams would monitor every day and send report to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday after holding a review meeting with Returning Officer and Collector Rahul Bojja and others on the arrangements for Medak Lok Sabha byelection, Mr. Bhanwar Lal said they had received complaints from other political parties that Ministers were misusing official machinery while participating in election campaign and based on that all the assistant returning officers were directed to monitor the movements of the Ministers. “As party workers they can participate in campaign, but not as Ministers,” he clarified.
Informing that photo identity voter slips would be distributed to voters beginning from Wednesday, the CEO said that they have received a complaint that voters slips were not distributed properly at Patancheru Assembly constituency and they are going to rectify such complaints this time. Stating that Model Code of Conduct (MCC) will be in force across the district, he said that personal allegations being levelled by politicians would also be monitored. The administration is also deploying more police force compared to previous elections and as many as 16 companies of central forces were being drawn in addition to existing one company.
The CEO also wrote to the ECI seeking appointment of one general observer each for an Assembly constituency as requested by some political parties. All those who came to participate in the campaign from other districts should leave the Lok Sabha constituency limits by 6 p.m. on September 11th.
The CEO also directed the district administration to take all steps to increase the polling percentage from 77 per cent in the previous elections to 85 per cent.
