EC takes note of Pawar’s complaint

The commission also said that expenses incurred to transport the AB forms of ruling party candidates in Nashik via a chartered flight would be added to their poll expenditure

Mumbai: The state election commission on Tuesday took cognisance of Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar’s complaint regarding police vans being used to provide financial assistance to ruling party candidates and asked the poll machinery in every district to beef up surveillance. The commission also said that expenses incurred to transport the AB forms of ruling party candidates in Nashik via a chartered flight would be added to their poll expenditure.

EC takes note of Pawar’s complaint

“We have flying squads and surveillance teams to curb any practice undertaken to lure voters. The district level machinery has been asked to step up vigilance,” chief electoral officer S Chockalingam said with reference to Pawar’s complaint while addressing a media conference on Tuesday. Though vehicles of VVIPs like the president are exempted from frisking, vehicles of chief minister and deputy chief ministers are not exempted, he added.

On Saturday, Pawar had alleged that police vehicles were being used to provide funds to candidates from the three ruling parties. He claimed that he could shed more light on the issue but was refraining from doing so to safeguard the officials who gave him the information.

On being asked about the Shiv Sena candidate from Mahim, Sada Sarvankar, being pressured to withdraw from the fray, Chockalingam said the commission will look into the case to ensure the polls are conducted in a free and fair manner and there is no pressure on any candidate.

Speaking about arrangements for the polls scheduled on November 20, the chief electoral officer said there are 100,186 polling booths in the state with 221,000 ballot units. The commission has also deployed 142 general observers, 41 police observers and 71 expenditure observers, he noted.

The commission also conducted a review of all 78,267 licensed weapons in the state ahead of the polls. While 55,136 guns were deposited with the police, 229 guns were confiscated and the licences of 575 weapons were cancelled. The commission also seized 1,294 illegal weapons.

The commission has already seized money, liquor, drugs, freebies and valuable ornaments worth ₹252.42 crore from the state, including cash worth ₹63.47 crore, liquor worth ₹33.73 crore and ornaments worth ₹83.12 crore, said Chockalingam.