NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Tuesday countermanded the byelection held for the Visakhapatnam Assembly constituency on February 19 on the ground that large-scale violations of the Model Code of Conduct had vitiated the poll.

The full commission comprising Chief Election Commissioner B.B. Tandon and Commissioners-- N. Gopalaswami and N. Chawla-- ordered a re-poll for the constituency on March 25 under strict security arrangements.

The commission in its four-page order said that a large number of complaints were received on Model Code violations by political parties in a big way through ostentatious campaigning by erecting big arches, bill boards, pamphlets, banners and deploying a large number of cars, jeeps and other vehicles.

It was reported that the ruling Congress had stationed 34 sitting MLAs and eight Ministers for campaigning and the Telugu Desam Party also deployed a number of its sitting MPs and MLAs to look after its election interests in the constituency. There were reports of "shocking incidents of bribing voters with cash and liquor".

The commission said that perturbed by these complaints, a two-member team went to the constituency and conducted a probe.

The team got valuable inputs from representatives of the Press, including a cassette containing a disturbing portrayal of distribution of money to voters and also seizure of over Rs. 7.50 lakhs and huge quantity of liquor meant for distribution to voters on the date of the poll.

Null and void

"The commission is fully convinced and totally satisfied that the poll taken on February 19 in 24-Visakhapatnam Assembly constituency was vitiated because of large- scale distribution of money, liquor and other commodities and breach of Model Code of Conduct by several parties and their workers/supporters to woo voters to vote in favour of their candidates, in a large number of polling areas in the entire Assembly constituency.

It has certainly affected the fairness of the election in the whole of the said constituency."

The commission declared that the poll held on February 19 at all the polling stations null and void and countermanded the said poll. It said that fresh poll would be held on March 25 under strict security arrangements for which suitable directions would be issued separately.

Also for all other consequential steps and measures necessary to be taken for ensuring free and fair fresh poll, the commission would issue suitable directions separately, the order said.

Adverse remarks

Special Correspondent in Hyderabad writes: Meanwhile, the Election Commission also asked the Andhra Pradesh Government to replace its Chief Electoral Officer M. Narayana Rao.

The State Government was asked to submit a panel of three names of IAS officers out of which the commission would finalise one name. With Chief Secretary being away in New Delhi, the Government may take one or two days to comply with the commission order.

The two-member team of the commission, which had enquired into the irregularities committed by political parties/candidates during the byelection, reportedly made adverse remarks against Mr. Rao.

An officer of the rank of Special Chief Secretary, Mr. Rao had successfully conducted the 2004 general election without any major complaint and after deleting as many as 93 lakh bogus voters from electoral rolls.

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