The Telangana State police is planning to implement the model for security and protocols, followed in the Assembly Elections of November 2023, for General Elections to the House of People (Lok Sabha) 2024.
Officials said that the checkpoints and strategy for the Assembly Elections were fool proof. “Though the campaigning is yet to start and even the candidates are yet to be decided, we have already started our work,” senior officials from the State police said.
In a strategy meeting ahead of the polls with the GHMC officials on March 18, Hyderabad Police Commissioner K. Srinivas Reddy said that votes should not be asked on the basis of caste and religion. “Speaking in a provocative manner, personal insults, inappropriate comments, and sharing information/acting in a way that misleads the voters and using religious places for campaigning will be considered as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC),” he said, adding that the government vehicles should not be used during the election campaign and voters should not be transported.
Moreover, the political parties should not set up booths within 200 metres of the polling centres.
Meanwhile, Cyberabad Police Commissioner Avinash Mohanty issued orders to all the holders of arms licences residing in the Cyberabad to deposit their weapons with the concerned Police Stations or with authorised arms dealers before March 23. “Failing to comply with the directions will result in action under appropriate provisions of law. The deposited weapons may be taken back on or after June 7, 2024, after completion of the election process,” he said.
Rachakonda Police Commissioner Tarun Joshi also held a virtual meeting with zonal DCPs about election preparations on March 13.
He advised to set up check posts at all necessary places in Rachakonda and conduct inspections. “Check posts should be set up at necessary places to catch the money and freebies being transported. The DCPs are advised to provide instructions and delegate duties to the lower level staff by arranging meetings with them. Visible policing should be given high priority,” said the official.
He also emphasised that tight security should be established at the check posts and discussed the installation of CCTV cameras in polling station areas.
Telangana is scheduled to go to polls on May 13 in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections, the elections in the State will be held in a single phase.
