Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal on Thursday ruled out the possibility of postponing the June 12 by-elections to one Lok Sabha and 18 assembly constituencies in the state saying the law and order situation was under control.
"There is no scope for putting off the by-elections as law and order situation is under control. Even in Guntur district, things are under control after the arrest of Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana (by the CBI)," Bhanwar Lal told the media on Thursday evening.
The Election Commission was functioning effectively to conduct the by-polls
in a peaceful manner, the CEO said. His remarks assume significance in the light of the apprehensions expressed by YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy that the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party were allegedly conspiring to create a law and order problem in the state to get the by-elections postponed.
The CEO said governments of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have agreed to allot five companies of special police force each while Maharashtra has agreed to send 10 companies for by-election duties.