Dubbak bypoll: Tamil Nadu IPS officer appointed police observer by EC

Hyderabad: Amid the high drama during the past three days, the election commission of India appointed Saroj Kumar Thakur, of Tamil Nadu cadre, as police observer for the Dubbaka byelection.

The orders came within 48 hours while tension prevailed in Dubbaka constituency between TRS and BJP party leaders. While the verbal spat between the party leaders has been continuing to heat up Dubbaka, the election commission felt the need to monitor the law and order situation in the assembly constituency.

Thakur has graduated from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, and passed the civil services examination securing the 223rd rank. Within a span of four days, citing allegations the election commission has posted Bharati Hollikeri as Siddipet collector, replacing P. Venkata Rami Reddy, and on Wednesday appointed Thakur as police observer.

The official orders said ‘in exercise of the powers conferred on it by article 324 of the constitution of India and section 20B of the Representation of the People Act,1961, the election commission of India hereby, appoints Saroj Kumar Thakur, IPS., TN: 2010, as police observer for the byelections to the 41-Dubbak Assembly constituency, Siddipet district.’