ECI delegation to visit Telangana on June 22-24 to assess poll preparedness

HYDERABAD: Ahead of the upcoming assembly election, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj and Director General of Police Anjani Kumar held a joint meeting to discuss and assess the state's poll preparedness on Wednesday.

The meeting aimed to apprise the district collectors and superintendents of police about the upcoming general election to the Legislative Assembly in Telangana.

Highlighting the significance of the upcoming election, Chief Election Officer Vikas Raj announced the visit of a delegation from the Election Commission of India (ECI). The delegation, led by Dharmendra Sharma, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, and Deputy Election Commissioners, along with senior officers of the Election Commission, will be in Hyderabad for three days, from June 22-24. Their visit is intended to evaluate and ensure preparedness for the forthcoming election.

During their stay, the ECI delegation will first engage in crucial meetings with the CEO of Telangana, the Special Police Nodal Officer, and the CAPF Nodal Officer. These discussions will provide an opportunity to exchange insights and strategies regarding election security issues.

Thereafter, the ECI delegation will hold extensive consultations with district Collectors/SPs and various enforcement agencies, including the Income Tax (CBDT), NCB, Excise Department, State GST and CGST Department, Enforcement Directorate, State Level Bankers Committee (SLBC), DRI, RPF, CISF, and State Commercial Tax Department. This collaborative effort aims to foster coordination at the state and district levels to preserve the integrity of the electoral process.

Addressing the gathering, Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar emphasized the crucial role of district police officers in ensuring a smooth and secure election. He highlighted the need for adequate manpower and instructed officers to map border check posts while facilitating cross-functional training with agencies like the Income Tax and GST departments.

The meeting was attended by key officials, including Shri Sanjay Jain, Additional DG and Special Police Nodal Officer (SPNO), Swathi Lakra, Additional DG, Shri Shah Nawaz Khan, IG, and Sanpreet Singh, IPS. The Chief Electoral office members also attended the event in which a wide range of issues like engaging second SSR-23, personnel training, and district election management plan were discussed in detail.