Ministers Not Violating Code: CEO

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Bhanwar Lal has clarified that cabinet ministers who campaign in the Kadapa district as party functionaries would not violate the election code.

However, the ministers would be violating the code automatically by using the official machinery, the CEO clarified to media persons at the state Secretariat on Thursday.

When asked to clarify how the Election Commission (EC) would be able to monitor the ministers' activities during the election campaign, Bhanwar Lal replied that shadow teams have already been pressed into service. The shadow teams comprise videographers to keep track of the ministers, the CEO added.

Bhanwar Lal also revealed that he has been preparing to execute security measures for the district, in consultation with Director General Of Police (DGP) K Aravinda Rao.

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

This apart, the Centre had already named a team of 6 observers who would be camping in the Kadapa district till May 8th.

Lal said that he would furnish the names of the Central observers and their contact numbers, again on Friday, to make it easy for the public to contact them whenever and wherever necessary.

"The leader of the observer team would be from Andhra Pradesh," he added.

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.

Speaking about the issue of the election symbol for the YSR Congress Party, Bhanwar Lal said that the matter has been under study, and that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) was considering it.

Lal further added that he had already toured the district, and had collected a first-hand account of information. So far, 3 nominations have been received for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, and 2 have been recieved for the Pulivendula Assembly seat, he said. (INN)