Police officials found rowdy-sheeters taking up the duties of polling agents for a particular party during the polling day in the by-elections to the Pulivendula assembly and Kadapa Lok Sabha Constituencies.

Police officials managing security duties in at least 15 polling stations found to their shock rowdy-sheeters taking up positions as agents. To make sure these agents had the genuine papers with them, they even checked the authorization letters given to them by the revenue officials and found that the letters were handed over to them by the senior revenue officials.

Stunned at the discovery, they informed the higher officials in Hyderabad of the development as the appointment of rowdy–sheeters as polling agents clearly violates election code.

Police also found all these rowdy-sheeters belonged to only one party which was being propped up by a top district revenue official (Read District Collector) from the very beginning.

After coming to know of this, senior officials in Hyderabad instructed police to send detailed reports with number of cases filed against them in various police stations so that action can be taken against the officials who connived with the party.

The rule is…

The central election commission clearly states that no rowdy-sheeter should be appointed as polling agent for any party. If a person applies to act as a polling agent, officials should thoroughly examine his or her background and make sure the applicant had no rowdy-sheets against them. If any rowdy-sheeter is appointed as a polling agent, the appointing official will be held responsible for the development.