Second day of filing nominations draws blank in Asom

Guwahati, Mar 11 (UNI) No nominations were filed for the second day today after the notification for Asom polls was issued yesterday.

Talking to media here, state Chief Election Officer (CEO) J P Prakash said poll observers had been deputed with the instruction to contact the respective district election officers.

Almost 85 observers had been deputed of whom about 25 were expenditure observers and the rest general observers, he added.

Mr Prakash informed that one observer each had been deputed for the 15 constituencies in Barak valley going to polls in the first phase on April 3.

He further said that 292 non-bailable warrants had been executed during the past 24 hours while 126 'anti-social' elements were arrested across the state.

''Two poll-related incidents of violence had been reported from Bongaigaon district today, taking the total number of such incidents to eight,'' Mr Prakash said, adding nine firearms and 32 cartridges were also recovered during the past 24 hours.

The CEO said that eight sub-inspectors and two deputy superintendent of police (DSPs) had been suspended for breach of duty and a officer in-charge in Bongaigaon had been transferred.

Mr Prakash said the security plan for the polls would be finalised by March 15 and forwarded for ratification by the central observers.

The neighbouring states had been asked by the Election Commission (EC) to keep vigil on their side on polling days, he added.

The CEO said the Dergaon Rajiv Bhawan, constructed with government funds, had been vacated today as per a EC directive.

UNI SG TJP VD HT1845