The Election Commission of India (ECI) has made it mandatory for the contestants of the forthcoming elections to fill the two vacant seats of the Legislative Council to mention in their nominations as to which election he/she intends to contest.
The candidates should accordingly mention whether they are contesting the byelection to fill up the seat falling vacant due to resignation of Kadiyam Srihari or to fill up the seat falling vacant due to resignation of Padi Kowshik Reddy. Notwithstanding the flak it drew from the Opposition parties for conducting separate election to the two seats, the ECI directed the State election authority to prepare separate sets of ballot papers for the two bypolls. “The colour of the ballot paper shall also be different for these two bye-elections which may preferably be white and pink”.
Public notice under Rule 3 of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961 should be issued separately for both the bye-elections. Separate polling stations, preferably by making partition in the place approved as polling station (committee hall 1 of the Legislature), for both the bypolls should be made.
Outside each polling station, a notice should be displayed indicating “polling station for bye-election to Telangana Legislative Council to fill up seat falling vacant due to resignation of Kadiyam Srihari and polling station to fill up seat falling vacant due to resignation of Padi Kowshik Reddy”. Separate ballot boxes should be used for both elections, the ECI said in a communication to the State election officials.
Separate sets of electoral rolls should be used for the two polling stations and each polling station should be manned by a separate set of officers while the counting of ballot papers should also be taken up separately. The ECI’s guidelines come at a time when the opposition parties are expressing concern that the conduct of separate elections would be in favour of the ruling Congress. The Congress which has a strength of 64 members and one CPI MLA supporting it is sure to win the elections as it is the single largest party in the absence of preferential voting.
