Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Briefs EC on Challenges, Preparations for Assembly Polls

New Delhi: Top Election Commission officials Monday sought details from Telangana's Chief Electoral Officer about the state's poll preparedness and possible challenges it may face for holding early assembly elections, a senior functionary said.

A team of EC officials led by Senor Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha will be in Hyderabad Tuesday for a ground check of poll preparedness.

Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar this afternoon briefed the EC about the preparations underway to hold assembly polls after the state assembly was dissolved last week. The term of assembly was to end in June 2019.

The functionary said challenges discussed in the meeting included those with regard to areas affected by Left-wing extremism, availability of polling personnel and voter facilities at polling stations.

The CEO in his report had told the Commission that polls can be held in October. The team led by Sinha will verify his claims before a final call is taken.

Stepping up preparations for conducting assembly elections in Telangana, the Commission on Saturday had announced that the final voter list will be published on October 8.

The poll panel has suspended an ongoing process of revision of electoral rolls in the wake of premature dissolution of the state assembly and declared a new schedule for revision.

Under the new schedule, integrated draft electoral roll will be published on September 10.

Claims and objections can be filed from September 10 to September 25 while disposal of claims and objections will be taken up on October 4. Updation of database and printing of supplement will be completed before October 7.

October 8 will be the date for final publication of the electoral roll, which means elections may be held any time after that date.

As per the schedule announced earlier, all new voters who will complete the age of 18 on January 1, 2019, would have been eligible to submit applications to include their names in the voter list.

Under the second special summary revision announced on Saturday, those who completed the age of 18 on January 1, 2018 can still submit their requests for inclusion of their names.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao had dissolved state assembly on Thursday last, nearly nine months before its term was to end, to pave the way for early elections.