EC not to deploy AP cops for Telangana poll duty

​Hyderabad: In the wake of increasing tension between Andhra and Telangana after the AP police allegedly snooped into the T state to conduct a survey, the Election Commission has decided not to seek the services of the Andhra Pradesh police in the poll-bound state.  The Commission is apprehensive that the deployment of Andhra police on election-related duty in Telangana may trigger clashes between the political parties at the time of elections. 

The election authorities took serious note of the snooping in Telangana by the AP police and raised serious doubts on the discharge of the duties by the neighbouring state officials impartially in Telangana. 

Taking all the political developments into consideration, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar said the Commission gave up the plan to request AP to deploy its forces mainly home guards to oversee security arrangements at the polling booths. 

The official said the Commission wrote to Orissa , Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Maharashtra requesting them to deploy 5,000 home guards each from the five states. The government has estimated the requirement of nearly 70,000 police personnel to oversee law & order, protection of polling booths and strong rooms to safeguard EVMs and VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) till the counting of the votes.            

In addition to the requirement of forces from the neighbouring states, the Commission has also urged the Centre to deploy 307 companies of paramilitary forces. To monitor the expenditure of the candidates, the official said he had requisitioned the Income Tax department to allot 53 I-T officials and supporting staff after the election notification. As many as 68 general observers and 10 police observers will also plunge into action to monitor poll-related affairs in every Assembly segment.

Referring to the phone tapping issue, Rajat Kumar said DGP M Mahendar Reddy informed him that phone tapping was being done strictly as per the well laid out procedures in the interest of the national security and prevention of crime. In the letter to the CEO, the DGP said “there are checks and balances in the system under the law. There is no scope of any illegal phone tapping.”  The official also said laws do not permit phone tapping for political purpose.