Election Commission officials begin 3-day poll-preparedness tour of Telangana

Hyderabad: The officials from the Election Commission of India (EC) began their three-day tour of the state on Tuesday, in connection with the ensuing general elections of the Telangana State Legislative Assembly.

Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana Vikas Raj received the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and his team at the airport. A 17-member team of officials will be in the city for the three-day poll-preparedness meetings.

Representatives of recognised political parties met with the CEC and gave representations of various issues pertaining to the upcoming elections on the first day. It is surmised that election dates would be declared by the CEC soon and the final list of voters would be published on Wednesday.

The EC members will hold meetings with enforcement agencies, district collectors, SPs, CPs and also with the senior administrative officials of the state government during their three-day visit.

‘EC will prepare its own list of genuine voters’

On the first day of their visit, amid the ongoing controversy about fake voters, prominent members from the state Congress party met the EC officials and submitted a representation on various issues with regard to the elections.

In their representation, G Niranjan, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) senior vice-president and chairman of the Election Commission Coordination Committee raised the question of ‘photo similar entries’ or bogus voters.

“There are around 22 lakh ‘photo similar voters’ within the constituencies and 12 lakh across the constituencies in the state. Some voters are registered both in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The Draft Voters List published in August revealed all these discrepancies. All such voters with multiple entries, those shifted, dead, bogus and fake need to be weeded out from the list and genuine voters should be enrolled and made aware about the voting process,” said G Niranjan while speaking to NewsMeter, and added that the EC should have its own machinery to prepare the list of genuine voters.

Meanwhile, as part of voter awareness campaign, office of the chief electoral officer will be organising a cycling event-cum-walkathon in collaboration with Hyderabad Cycling Revolution on the Cable Bridge at Durgam Cheruvu. The ECE Rajiv Kumar will flag off the event on Wednesday, October 4.

Last week, State Chief Secretary Santhi Kumari had asked the officials to come prepared with all details for the upcoming visit of the ECI officials to the state.

The chief secretary had directed the officials to demonstrate the readiness of the state government towards conducting the elections. Details of assured minimum facilities at the polling stations are to be provided. The disabled welfare department officials were told to procure wheelchairs and keep them at the polling stations in consultation with the district collectors.