With the notification for the Lok Sabha elections issued on Monday, Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar has asserted that the election authority would deal sternly with the parties/contestants violating the model code of conduct.
Filing of nominations started in the right earnest with MIM president Asaduddin Owaisi filing his nomination from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat.
In Karimnagar constituency, B. Vinod Kumar of TRS filed his nomination while Rathod Ramesh filed his papers in Adilabad Lok Sabha segment on behalf of the Congress. Three other Independents have also filed their nominations in Peddapalli and Warangal constituencies.
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The election authority would accept nominations for four days till March 25, the last date of filing nominations, as three days in the interim - March 21 being Holi day, March 23 -- fourth Saturday and March 24 -- Sunday - are public holidays. Security had been beefed up at the offices where candidates would file their nominations to ensure that there is no scope for any untoward incidents.
All arrangements were made for the peaceful conduct of the election for the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies, slated in single phase on April 11. A major chunk of the 1.85 lakh government staff drafted for the election work reported to duties even as the first contingent of Central armed police force is on its way to the State.
The election authority had identified four of the 17 Lok Sabha constituencies as sensitive in the current election. These are Hyderabad, Malkajgiri, Chevella and Nizamabad and elaborate security arrangements had been made in these constituencies accordingly. “We will position more personnel wherever needed in these constituencies,” he said in an informal chat with reporters.
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Mr. Rajat Kumar advised the aspiring contestants to fill all the details in the nomination papers as non-submission of these details could lead to rejection of the nominations. It is mandatory for the candidates to specify criminal antecedents, if any, as also the investments made abroad on their own or in the name of their spouses and children.
He asserted that the political parties should take prior permission of the election authority for putting up posters, banners and flexiboards or else, the officials concerned had been directed to remove all such hoardings. The comment assumes significance as the enforcement officials had removed hoardings and banners put up without the approval of election authority in Karimnagar to mark the first election meeting of the TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday.
The CEO warned the political parties against using schoolchildren as part of their campaign and said stringent action would be initiated against the contesting candidates found guilty on this count. The development comes in the light of complaint lodged by BJP MLC N. Ramachandra Rao that schoolchildren were made to stand under scorching sun during a meeting conducted by the ruling TRS.