Vikas Raj directs district electoral officers (DEOs) and the police to keep a vigil on sensitive and critical areas

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj on Thursday said that around 65,000 police personnel, including those from neighbouring states, and 375 companies of central forces would be deployed at polling stations for the November 30 elections.

He said that a decision on the state government's proposals on releasing funds for welfare schemes and dearness allowance for government employees was still pending with the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Vikas Raj directed district electoral officers (DEOs) and the police to keep a vigil on sensitive and critical areas.

"Telangana has a tradition of conducting elections without any disturbance and violence. Keeping in view the physical attacks on the family members of Sirisha alias Barrelakka, an independent candidate from Kollapur, police forces will be placed in specific locations and additional forces will arrive shortly," Raj said.

Asking people to turn up and cast their votes on polling day, he said, "November 30 is not a holiday. It will be a



festival of elections and every voter must cast their votes. We have taken measures to enhance the polling percentage for these elections."

Raj further stated that officials had seized huge amounts of cash and freebies worth crores of rupees. No political party had claimed the seized material. Legal action is to be initiated against those who were caught transporting cash and freebies by violating the Model Code of Conduct.

From when the election was announced on October 9, police and various authorities had seized Rs 260 crore cash, liquor worth Rs 108 crore, narcotics valued at Rs 35 crore, Rs 183 crore worth gold, silver and diamonds and freebies worth Rs 81 crore.

He said that the printing of 4.7 lakh ballot papers has been done for postal ballot purposes was complete, as we as the distribution of 51 lakh EPIC cards. "We are now verifying the functioning of EVMs which were allocated to all polling stations. A review to be held on Friday on EVMs," the CEO said.