Cong organisational polls begin on a false note

But despite all efforts by AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi to ensure clean elections,the party seems to be facing a hard time — with a large number of complaints pouring in of elections being conducted in the absence of the Returning Officers. The party’s election body has decided to issue warnings to all Returning Officers and district presidents.

JD Seelam,Additional State Returning Officer for Uttar Pradesh Organisation elections and Rajya Sabha member from Andhra Pradesh,said: “We have asked people to stick to the guidelines but it seems they are not yet used to it. But they will have to co-operate with us or all our efforts to maintain quality in the elections would be in vain.”

Asked about the most frequent complaints,Seelam said: “Block Returning Officers not reaching villages and district presidents poking their nose in are the two major issues we are trying to handle at present.”

With the rising number of complaints,AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh has been requested to chair three zonal meetings of Returning Officers. “He is the seniormost person and we have requested him to chair the meetings in Lucknow,Varanasi and Noida on 9,10 and 11 July to sort out these differences,” added Seelam.

To make the election process fair ensure transparency,block and district level Returning Officers were not allowed to officiate at their home districts.

Even so,a senior leader from Kanshiramnagar district — where a large number of complaints have come from — said: “All of us are opposing appointment of Sukhvir Singh Gehlot as the Returning Officer because he is a distant relative of the district president Shashilata Chauhan and she is openly interfering and dictating her terms.”

Similar complaints are coming from district like Jaunpur,Etah and other districts. Pramod Gupta,district president of Etah,said: “Those,who are complaining against us are jealous people. We are just trying to help people from other districts who are coming to conduct elections.” He claimed that even on Sunday,he was travelling with the district Returning Officer to assist him.