Ministers not violating Code: CEO

Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal has clarified that if the seven Cabinet Ministers campaigned in the Kadapa district as party functionaries they do not attract the election code.

However, the Ministers would be violating the Code automatically in case they use the official machinery, the CEO clarified before media persons at the state Secretariat on Thursday.

When asked to clarify how the EC would be able to differentiate between the use of official machinery or their movements as party functionaries, Mr Bhanwar Lal was categorical in replying that shadow teams have already been pressed into service. These shadow teams included videographers who would keep track of the Ministers whether they were utilizing the official transport or their Secretarial staff for the election work, the CEO added.

Besides this, Mr Bhanwar Lal revealed that he has been preparing for ‘total security’ for the district in consultation with Director General of Police K Aravinda Rao.

The security programme for the district would be released on Friday, he stated.

This apart, the Centre had already named a team of six observers who would be camping in the Kadapa district till May 8.

Mr Bhanwarl Lal said that he would furnish the names of the Central observers plus their contact numbers, again on Friday, as that would serve a purpose.

It facilitates the public to contact them whenever and wherever necessary to keep a check on any untoward incident, the CEO explained. Further, the leader of the observer team would be from Andhra Pradesh, he added.

Mr Bhanwar Lal also revealed that for the first time in the history of the state, an IPS officer of the rank of Inspector General would be camping in the district with an observer status. Elsewhere in West Bengal, a similar observer team was dispatched in view of the disturbances surfacing there during the recent elections.

Clarifying on the election symbol for the YSR Congress Party, Mr Bhanwar Lal said that the matter has been under study and the Chief Election Commissioner was considering it.

In case no symbol has been allotted, the YSR Congress Party would get any other symbol as deemed fit.

He said he had already toured the district and collected a firsthand account of information. So far three nominations have been received for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat and two for Pulivendula Assembly seat, according to Mr Bhanwar Lal.