New Delhi: The Election Commission of India reportedly suspended the Telangana police chief for personally meeting Congress state chief Anumula Revanth Reddy as it became clear that the party was winning the polls.
Meeting a political leader while counting was still in progress was in violation of the Model Code of Conduct and other relevant conduct rules, according to the poll body.
While results were still being counted on Sunday afternoon, Telangana Director General of Police (DGP) Anjani Kumar, State Police Nodal Officer Sanjay Jain, and Nodal Officer (Expenditure) Mahesh Bhagwat met Reddy at his residence with a bouquet. Reddy contested the polls from his home constituency Kodangal and Kamareddy. The PCC chief won from Kodangal and third in Kamareddy till numbers last came in.
The DGP choosing to meet a contesting candidate out of the total 2,290 and the star campaigner of one party – out of 16 political parties in the fray – was a clear indication of “mala fide intention of seeking favour”, news agency PTI said, quoting sources.
#WATCH | Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar and other Police officials meet state Congress president Revanth Reddy at his residence in Hyderabad.
The party is leading on 65 of the total 119 seats in the state, ruling BRS is leading on 38 seats. pic.twitter.com/m6A9llRzgO
— ANI (@ANI) December 3, 2023
Telangana was the Congress’ consolation prize Sunday after badly losing the three Hindi heartland states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh to the BJP.
Till reports last came in, the Congress had won 42 seats and was leading in another 22 in the 119-constituency Telangana Assembly, having defeated incumbent Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), which won 18 seats and leading in 21.
In 2018, the BRS (then TRS) won 88 seats with a vote share of 46.87 percent, while the Congress got 19 seats with 28.43 percent of the mandate.
The BJP bettered its tally this time and was leading in eight seats till Sunday evening.
Revanth Reddy dedicated the win to the “Telangana martyrs” – those who died during the agitation for a separate state.
“This time, we have got the mandate to take forward their ideals. We will make sure to deliver on all our promises,” Reddy said at a briefing in Hyderabad.
Also read: Fielding MPs in Madhya Pradesh state polls pays off for BJP: 5 of 7 win or headed for victory