Vishakapatnam: The Vishakapatnam district administration in a preliminary investigation confirmed that TDP Bheemili Assembly segment candidate Sabbam Hari has indeed violated the poll code by seeking postal votes of those officers and staff who took part in the election duty. It is also gearing up to request the Election Commission to initiate action against Hari.

It is illegal on the part of candidates to request votes from those involved in election duty. There are allegations that Hari had surreptitiously obtained the data pertaining to government employees and their contact numbers and spoke to them to request votes after the Model Code of Conduct came into being. The TDP candidate is also accused of holding teleconferences and getting in touching with at least 500 officials. An audio tape to this effect is also doing rounds in the media, where a voice believed to be Hari’s is heard seeking votes. The person is heard saying that he will be favourable to those officers if they help him win the election.

After the YSR Congress Party brought up this issue with the local election officials, District Collector Katamneni Bhaskar ordered an enquiry headed by District Revenue Officer Gunnaiah. Upon looking into the matter, Gunnaiah confirmed that Sabbam Hari has actually violated the norms by speaking to election officials.

However, the district authorities are now trying to ascertain how in the first place the data regarding the election officials were leaked to Sabbam Hari. Questions are being asked if anyone in the District Collectorate or from the office of Bheemli Tehsildhar secretively handed over the data to Sabbam Hari.

The officials are saying that once the information with regard to who actually helped the TDP nominee, they would go ahead and press for action against Sabbam Hari.

YSR Congress Party’s Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao (Avanthi) is pitted against Sabbam Hari in the constituency.

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