The Election Commission on Monday asked the State Government to postpone the general transfers of officials till the end of by-elections’ process.
Talking to reporters at the State Secretariat, Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal said that the State Government has sought the Election Commission’s advise on the general transfers. However, he said that the government has been asked to hold the transfers till the declaration of by-elections results on June 15.
Bhanwarlal informed that the EC has initiated an enquiry into the alleged remarks of Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao during a speech in Parkal wherein he asked the Muslim voters to take revenge from the BJP for defeating a Muslim candidate in Mahbubnagar seat. He said enquiry has been ordered following a complaint by the BJP leaders. He informed that reports have also been sought into two alleged caste-based statements of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy.
The CEO said that the Election Commission was not in receipt of any complaint with regard to the distribution of money to voters through bank accounts in Parkal constituency by Konda Murali, husband of YSR Congress candidate Konda Surekha. However, he said enquiry would be ordered if someone lodges a complaint against him.
Bhanwarlal said that the authorities have seized over Rs 16.89 crore cash and about 1.22 lakh litres of liquor from different places in the election-bound districts. As many as 2,786 people were also taken into preventive custody, he said.
As on Monday, as many as 35 candidates have filed their nomination papers in 18 assembly and one Lok Sabha seats where by-elections will be held on June 12. He informed that the voters’ slip would be distributed among all voters by June 5.
–Agencies