Election Commission Suspends Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar Over Model Code Violation

The Telangana Director General of Police met Anumula Revanth Reddy, a candidate in the ongoing Telangana Assembly Elections, in Hyderabad.

The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday ordered the suspension of Telangana's Director General of Police (DGP), Anjani Kumar, for violating the Model Code of Conduct, according to information obtained by the Press Trust of India (PTI).

It is to be noted that the Director General of Police Telangana, along with Sanjay Jain, State Police Nodal Officer, Telangana, and Mahesh Bhagwat, Nodal (Expenditure), met Anumula Revanth Reddy, a contesting candidate in the ongoing Assembly Elections in Telangana, in Hyderabad with a flower bouquet at her residence.

Instances of model code violations have been consistently reported since the polling day. On the day of the elections, both the Bharatiya Raita Samithi (BRS) and the Congress filed complaints against each other, alleging breaches of the model code of conduct (MCC) and the misuse of power. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) voiced concerns that some BRS candidates were allowed to influence voters with cash, while the police remained passive observers.

Telangana's Chief Electoral Officer, Vikas Raj, disclosed that FIRs were registered in some cases, and they have been forwarded to district election officers for necessary action.

Minister AIndrakaran Reddy faced an FIR for purportedly violating the poll code by wearing a pink scarf when casting his vote. BRS expressed worries about a manipulated video and accused Congress leaders of violating the poll code. In turn, the BJP lodged a complaint against BRS for alleged misuse of power.

The day commenced with the Congress filing a complaint against BRS MLC Kalvakuntla Kavitha, accusing her of encouraging voters to support the 'car,' the symbol of BRS. G Niranjan, Congress chairman of the EC coordination committee, stated in his complaint that Kavitha breached the poll code by making the appeal after casting her vote at DAV School in Banjara Hills. The Congress also accused AIMIM of rigging and bogus voting in Chandrayangutta, Charminar, and Bahadurpura.

Soma Bharat Kumar, who leads BRS's legal cell, asserted, "We submitted five complaints. Congress' star campaigners breached the silent period by conducting press meets. Rahul Gandhi, Revanth Reddy, Bhatti Vikramarka, and D Sridhar Babu, and Uttam Kumar Reddy violated the code by appealing to voters," as reported by the Times of India.

Kishan Reddy filed a complaint with poll authorities, alleging electoral malpractices by BRS candidates and workers.