EC calls up top officials on bypoll

Chennai: Attaching utmost importance to the bypolls in R K Nagar constituency amid allegations of rampant use of money power, the Election Commission will hold talks with chief secretary, DGP and DG (Income Tax) of Tamil Nadu on the preparedness for the high stakes poll.

In a communication sent to chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan on Saturday night, Malay Mallick, secretary to the Election Commission of India, asked her, the DGP and DG (I-T) to attend the meeting at 3 pm on Monday in New Delhi.

Official sources said Ms Vaidyanathan, DGP T.K. Rajendran and DG (IT) would attend the meeting through video conferencing since the meeting was called at short notice.

This is probably the first time that Election Commission is conducting a review meeting with top brass of the state executive and police regarding conduct of by-election.

The announcement about the meeting comes a day after Election Commission deputed five more observers to move in small lanes of the constituency on motorbikes and assist the observers of the Commission. The EC has also decided to deploy as many as 10 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to ensure free and fair election to the RK Nagar Assembly Constituency.

The EC has left no stone unturned to ensure free and fair polls in the constituency. While it transferred Chennai Police Commissioner S George last week, it also brought a change in the Returning Officer also for the bypoll after allegations from the Opposition that some officials are perceived to be close to the ruling dispensation. Since DMK and OPS faction of the AIADMK have filed several complaints against the AIADMK's Sasikala faction, the EC is burning the midnight oil to ensure no untoward incident takes place during the bypolls.