RK Nagar: EC names 2 observers

With four days to go for the RK Nagar bypoll and amid allegations of bribing voters, the Election Commission (EC) has appointed Vikram Batra, an Indian Revenue Service officer, and Manvendra Goyal, Commissioner of Income Tax (Appeal), Tiruchy, as Central Observers.

Batra will be an Expenditure Observer and will assist the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rajesh Lakhoni in implementing expenditure control measures. “Batra is arriving on Saturday. He will coordinate all the election related activities. He was here during the rescinded RK Nagar bypoll in April as well,” said a source.

Goyal will oversee poll work between December 18 and 21, and report to the EC on December 22 in Delhi. Sources said Goyal would be subject to the control, superintendence and discipline of the EC for the duties performed and would draw modalities as and when required. Candidate setting on EVMs was carried out at the Corporation Zone 4 Office, Tondiarpet. The first ballot unit begins with BSP candidate AC Sathyamoorthy, followed by BJP candidate Karu Nagarajan, AIADMK candidate E Madhusudhanan, and DMK candidate N Marudhu Ganesh, and independents. Sidelined AIADMK leader turned independent candidate TTV Dinakaran would figure in serial number 33, and as the first candidate in the third ballot unit. There will be three more ballot units connected to the Control Unit, and a Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT).

With five companies of Central Armed Paramilitary Force personnel involved in poll work already, one company of CRPF and five CISF would join the existing security cover. Four more CRPF companies are expected on Saturday, taking the tally of total companies of Central Forces to 15. Until Friday, poll officials had seized Rs 6.34 lakh cash while 67 cases have been registered and the process is on to file 17 more. As many as 484 complaints were received and 468 were disposed till date.

The Chennai police on Friday brought in two new inspectors to RK Nagar and Kasimedu stations, falling under the RK Nagar constituency where the by election is scheduled on December 21. V Kodiraj, who was on vacancy reserve list at the control room, has been posted as RK Nagar inspector for crime. A Arockiaraj, the current crime inspector of Kothwalchavadi station, has been asked to assume charge as crime inspector of Kasimedu police station. M Eleavarsu, who was crime inspector at RK Nagar on medical leave, has been transferred and put in vacancy reserved. The transfers were in connection with the election procedure, a police officer said.