A team of officials from the Election Commission of India (ECI) is set to visit Telangana and its capital, Hyderabad, on October 3 as part of a three-day tour to the state in preparation for the upcoming elections. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vikas Raj announced the visit on Monday, stating that its purpose is to engage with various stakeholders, assess election readiness, and interact with the local community.
The current term of the Telangana Legislative Assembly is set to end in January, and the state is expected to hold elections before that date, along with Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram. The ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi, led by K Chandrashekar Rao, is confident of securing a third term, given its significant majority in the Assembly. However, a resurgent Congress and a rising BJP are eager to challenge the ruling party's hold on power.
During their visit, the ECI team will meet with representatives of both national and state-recognized political parties. On the first day, they will hold discussions with enforcement agencies to address key matters related to the upcoming elections.
On the second day, the team will focus on assessing election preparedness at the grassroots level. District Election Officers (DEOs) and Superintendents of Police (SPs)/Commissioners of Police (CPs) from all 33 districts in Telangana will make detailed presentations to the EC team, according to an official statement from the CEO's office.
On the final day of their visit, October 5, the team will hold a press conference. Before that, they will visit an exhibition showcasing Systematic Voters’ Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP) activities.
Additionally, the EC team plans to interact with state icons, Persons with Disabilities (PwD) voters, and young voters to promote awareness and participation in the democratic process. They will also hold a crucial meeting with the Chief Secretary and the Director-General of Police (DGP) to coordinate efforts with state administration and security agencies, the statement noted.
Recently, the CEO of Telangana, in collaboration with various residents' welfare associations, launched a unique campaign in multi-storeyed apartment complexes and gated communities across 29 Assembly constituencies in and around Greater Hyderabad. The campaign's goal is to ensure that every eligible citizen is included in the electoral roll. As a result, they received 37,588 applications for new enrolments and 13,319 applications for address changes or corrections.
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