Political parties tread warily as EC keeps a close watch

Hyderabad: Strict vigilance by the Election Commission of India (ECI) has been keeping the political parties on tenterhooks in the by-election to the Huzurnagar Assembly Constituency.

Fearing the vigilance of EC observers, the Congress leaders are treading cautiously in the campaign as any mistake would cost the party dearly. If the EC finds any violation it could cancel the result.

The leaders have been keeping away from holding meetings on the basis of castes and religions. They are also keeping the election expenditure in control to see that no violation of rules take place.

Unlike the past, the EC officials have been keeping strict vigilance on Huzurnagar by-election. According to sources, observers of the EC have been camping in the constituency and examining the campaign activity closely.

They have been recording the particulars of the expenditure by each candidate and reporting it to the Election Commission of India regularly. Recently, they reported expenditure of each candidate for the road shows being conducted.

The candidates who are wary of the EC observers have been keeping the flags of the party under control. The number of flags has been reduced drastically to escape the Observers. According to party leaders, the EC is keeping a close eye on the bypoll as rumours were abuzz that the main parties would not hold back on spending crores of rupees to win the poll.

The leaders said that the EC has recorded the expenditure of recent road show of ruling TRS working president and MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao. The officials asked the party leaders of Huzurnagar TRS to explain the expenditure.

Similarly, a cheque given by Congress candidate N Padmavathi Reddy to a mosque was also examined by the EC officials. The EC observers have been shadowing the Congress, TRS, BJP and TDP candidates and recording the expenditure. State level leaders of the Congress said that the EC never kept such close watch on the election expenditure in the past.

In the previous general elections to Parliament and Assembly the candidates spent freely. The leaders said that presence of BJP candidate in the Huzurnagar bypoll has changed the conditions drastically. They said that at the behest of BJP leaders the EC has been keeping a close watch on the main parties. They said that if the expenditure of the main parties like the Congress and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is controlled the prospects of the BJP candidate would improve.