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Voters urged to shun all favours
Bhanwarlal: Voters Urged to Shun all Favours, He cautioned the electors against accepting gratifications in cash or kind from contestants to vote in favor of them.
- Over `100 cr unaccounted money seized so far
- It is the highest in India, getting State a bad name
- Voting may be permitted till 6 pm due to summer
Hyderabad: Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal on Sunday cautioned the electors against accepting gratifications in cash or kind from contestants to vote in favor of them. “If you take money from them, you will also be booked along with them. Taking money is as a crime as giving them for electoral considerations. I direct the police to file cases against voters who take money and cast votes” he told the media here on Sunday.
Stating that more than Rs 100 crore of unaccounted and undeclared cash had already been seized so far, Bhanwarlal said “hundreds of tolas of gold, silver and over three-and-half lakh litres of liquor were also confiscated” He said the amount seized was the highest across India. “This brings us a very bad name for AP. A negative opinion is forming that the situation in the State is in a bad shape and people have been enticed. If we want to get rid of this, we must exercise our suffrage without fear or favor,” he exhorted.
The CEO indicated that the Election Commission is now planning to declare the source of illegal money. “We will soon declare from whom we seized the amount or gifts so that the electorate can understand the character of contestants and their parties. This will also prevent further flow of money and illicit liquor.”
On the allegations that the police have been filing cases against common workers or cadre and leaving out the candidates who were behind the distribution, the CEO said he would ensure that the cases would be filed against the real culprits.
“More than 1,800 check-posts have been set up across the State to stop the flow of money and liquor. We leave no stone unturned to ensure free and fair election. It’s good that at some places, people are voluntarily handing over the distributors to police,” he lauded. “Supply of drinking water, erection of tents at polling booths will be arranged due to hot summer. If need be, we would ensure voting even up to 6 pm,” he announced.
