Maha polls: Police vehicles to be under close vigil to avoid cash transfers

Mumbai, Nov 5 (IANS) The office of the Maharashtra State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has directed all district collectors to also check that police vehicles are not used by political parties to carry cash during the ongoing assembly election process.

The direction has come in the wake of allegations levelled by NCP-SP chief Sharad Pawar three days ago that police vehicles are being used to provide financial assistance to the candidates of the ruling parties in Maharashtra ahead of the assembly polls.

The joint state chief electoral officer Kiran Kulkarni said that the office of the CEO took serious note of it as the statement was made by a veteran political leader from Maharashtra.

“It has been instructed to all district collectors to see that police vehicles are not used to provide financial assistance. We have come to know from many districts, from officials that candidates from the ruling parties are getting financial assistance for polls, that police vehicles are being used. Officials of the police department have also said that,” Pawar claimed.

However, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis dismissed Pawar’s charges saying that the NCP-SP chief was hallucinating because such things happened when the opposition parties were in power.

On the Shiv Sena UBT’s demand to include expenses incurred on the celebration of Deepotsav by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Park in the election expenses of the party and the nominee from Mahim Amit Thackeray, Kulkarni said that it has directed the district returning officer to verify the facts in this regard and take a decision.

“The district returning officer will ultimately decide whether to include the Deepotsav expenses in the election expenses MNS or from its Mahim candidate,” he said.

As far as the complaint with regard to the display of Diwali lanterns carrying the MNS nominee’s photos during Deepotsav, Kulkarni said that the action has been taken by the district returning officer as those Diwali lanterns have been now removed in line with the stipulated provisions of the model code of conduct.

The state CEO S Chockalingam said that they are in the midst of a collection of news reports with regard to the use of Vote Jihad by leaders of a particular party.

He said that the office of the CEO is providing a level playing field to all political parties and thanked the political parties for their cooperation.

Chockalingam said that the election machinery is fully geared up for smooth polling in the state adding that over 2 lakh personnel have been deployed on election duty. He further stated that the static surveillance teams and flying squads have been also deployed in addition to special expenditure observers across the state.

Kulkarni said that since the introduction of the model code of conduct cash worth Rs 262 crore has been seized as of date in the state.

“As far as the seizure of Rs 5 crore from a vehicle near Pune, the police and income tax are conducting an investigation. In the case of a seizure of gold worth Rs 135 crore in Pune, it has been released to the concerned party after investigation as the van carrying the gold was with necessary permission of jewellery supplier to the seller,” he added.

Chockalingam said that all 4,140 candidates are now in the fray after 2,938 nominees withdrew their nominations on the last date of nomination on Monday.

He added that there are 9,70,25,119 voters and 1,00,186 polling stations in the state.

--IANS

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