The Hindu : National : EC seeks report on Rajnikant's complaint

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004

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National

EC seeks report on Rajnikant's complaint

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, APRIL 27 . The Election Commission today asked the Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu to send a report immediately on the complaint of Tamil `superstar' Rajnikant who apprehended an attack on his fans from the supporters of Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK).

On Monday, Mr. Rajnikant met the Chief Election Commissioner, T.S. Krishnamurthy, and sought the Commission's intervention to prevent an attack on his fans from the PMK supporters in the aftermath of an incident in Madurai on April 2 when his fans were attacked. Acting on the complaint, the Commission asked the State's Chief Secretary to send a report on the allegations as well and about the Madurai incident.

Collector transferred

The Commission transferred the Mahasamund Collector in Chhattisgarh, Shailesh Patak, for conducting an exit poll during the April 20 Lok Sabha polls for the seat from where the former Chief Minister, Ajit Jogi, of the Congress, is contesting against the BJP's V.C. Shukla. In his place the Director, Budget, Gaurav Dwivedi, had been appointed as the District Collector-cum-election officer.

Sources in the Commission said that there were reports about Mr. Patak conducting an exit poll and an enquiry was conducted through a senior IAS officer, Sunil Kumar, and, on the basis of his report, Mr. Patak was shifted. Eight officials, including three in Mainpuri, from where the Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav, is contesting have also been transferred.

The Commission has ordered that the Additional District Collector Sharada Prasad Yadav, DSP Ramyagya Yadav, and SI S. S. Yadav be shifted outside Mainpuri district, which is going to the polls on May 5. The Commission has also ordered the transfer of Additional SP Bharat Singh Yadav and four police officers.

Repoll in 149 booths

The Commission today announced a repoll tomorrow in 149 polling stations in five States — 93 in Andhra Pradesh, 25 in Uttar Pradesh, 14 each in Assam and Karnataka, and three in Manipur. The Commission has decided not to order repoll in Goa and Jammu and Kashmir as it found the reports of returning officers satisfactory.

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