Vikram Batra rushes to Delhi, to submit report to CEC
Batra, who recommended the rescinding of the April 12 byelection, is likely to meet Joti on Wednesday and share his findings with him.
Chennai: Vikram Batra, an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer who was appointed as special officer for the December 21 by-poll to RK Nagar, on Tuesday flew back to New Delhi to report to Chief Election Commissioner AK Joti about the situation in the poll-bound constituency.
Officials said Batra, who was appointed as the additional CEO for the high-stakes bypoll, was returning to the national capital as a matter of routine since the curtains came down on the campaign Tuesday evening. Even so, it led to widespread speculation that he was planning to recommend rescinding the election once again as it was done in April.
Election Commission sources, however, said there was no change in the RK Nagar election schedule “as of now” and that there was no “adverse report” from officers on the field that warrants cancellation of the bypoll. Though reports coming from RK Nagar suggest rampant distribution of money to tilt voters’ support in their favour by most political parties, EC sources said they have received fewer complaints as compared to April.
Batra, who recommended the rescinding of the April 12 byelection, is likely to meet Joti on Wednesday and share his findings with him. The IRS officer, who had supervised elections in several north Indian states in the past, will brief him on allegations of 'cash for votes', the sources said.
"The situation in April was entirely different from the atmosphere that is prevailing now. In April, there were widespread allegations that voters were distributed money openly and blatantly and even the I-T Department was roped in to search premises of functionaries belonging to the ruling party. That situation does not exist now", another senior official said.
During his visit to Tamil Nadu, Batra interacted with representatives of political parties, Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Lakhoni, expenditure observers and special observers appointed for the R K Nagar polls. He also visited R K Nagar constituency and reviewed the arrangements made for the polls.
RK Nagar will go to polls on December 21 and votes polled in the elections will be counted on December 24.