EC To Probe Kadapa's "100% Voting"

The Election Commission will take steps to find out the rationale behind the "100% polling" during the last elections in the Kadapa district, as doubts have been expressed by some sections on this.

This assurance was given by Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal to the representatives of the Election Vigilance Platform (EVP) who called on him at his chambers at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

Bhanwar Lal was quick to point out to the delegation members that in most of the areas, 100% voting did not occur, but that in a few villages all voters were said to have exercised their franchise.

The EC authorities would be supported by video cameras, and officials will make attempts to detect malpractices in the process, the CEO stated.

Earlier, several organizations, coming on a single platform called the "Election Vigilance Platform", had appealed to Bhanwar Lal to issue instructions for free and fair polling, particularly in certain villages where voters were seen as being influenced on a large-scale.

The EVP leaders further alleged that the money spent by the candidates in the district exceededs the Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies' expenditure limit by 1,000 times. They appealed to the EC to take steps to curb this free flow of money, and also to ensure that the flow of liquor is controlled as well.

Reacting favourably to this appeal, the CEO said that besides shutting down belt shops, efforts were also being made to close down all wine shops to stop the free flow of liquor.

The Kadapa EVP leaders said that they were determined to check any such unfair and illegal practice during the by-elections.

Senior Citizens' Association President Dr. Rao Chelikani, Jana Chaitanya Vedika President V Lakshman Reddy and Association For Promoting Social Action Director S Sreenivasa Reddy later spoke to media persons. (INN)