Subba Rao cautions party leaders on 'code'

With the cooperation from all  political  parties, the  Election Commission  will ensure that the candidates for the by-polls fearlessly campaign for their respective parties.

Interacting with the media here on  Monday, State Electoral Officer  I V Subba Rao  said  that at the  behest of   election commission  only the  police arrested Telangan Rashtra Samiti MP from Medak Vijay  Shanti  on Saturday. Any party leader who  makes a provocative statement or  trespasses the  code of conduct  will meet the same  fate, cautioned  the  chief electoral officer.

Referring to Vijay Shanti,   the  CEO noted  that she met him and  gave her explanation on the provocative statement she made at the Telangana bhavan while addressing  party workers. The reply has been forwarded  to the Chief Election Commissioner  in Delhi. ''We are only  waiting  what action  the Election  Comission  will take,'' he added.

Twelve observers from  Election Commission will  visit the state  and  observe the  proceedings  during the  by-polls in the  State, he  said.

The representatives of the political  parties along with selected members  of elction  commission will  examine  the functioning of the electronic  voting machines  in the next couple  of days to clear all the doubts which many political parties may raise.

Meanwhile,  Vijay Shanti,   the TRS  MP  from Medak  approached the CEO and  explained the way in which the police  dealt with her during her arrest on July 3. She demanded an  apology from the Government for the police behaviour on that fateful day.

''They did not observe the protocol that I am an MP and did not even consider that I was a woman.  It is very shameful on their  part,'' she said. She further demanded that all the police officers involved in her arrest on Saturday last should  be suspended.