Police are on hot pursuit to arrest Sriramulu: CEO

Bangalore, May 15 (UNI) Police are on hot pursuit to arrest Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Bellary assembly seat Sriramulu, who had allegedly assaulted a Congress worker today morning in Bellary, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) M N Vidyashankar said today.

Talking to newsmen he said that following the incident a criminal case has been registered against Sriramulu and serious efforts were made by the police to arrest him.

Clarifying that BJP leader Janardhana Reddy, Mlc was not arrested by the police and reports in this regard was false, Mr Vidyashankar said that EC has issued direction to arrest Mr Sreeramulu relating to the incident.

A police team event went to neighbouring Andhra Pradesh in search of Sreeramulu but could not locate him.

Mr Vidyashankar said that a search party raided house of Congress candidate Anil Lad candidate in Bellary but no seizure was made during the raid.

Stating that the situation in Bellary was as peaceful as in other nine districts going to poll in the second phase tomorrow, Mr Vidyashankar said that both state and central security forces deployed for ensuring free and fair poll have already taken their position in as many as 12286 polling stations Replying to questions, Mr Vidyashankar said that the Bellary police have seized cash Rs 8.8 lakhs and arrested eight persons in this connection.

He said that repolling was held today in one of the polling station in Chamarajanagar district which went to poll on May 10.

About 77.08 per cent of polling was recorded. The repolling was necessiated following malfunctioning of a EVM, he added.

(Editors: Pls pick up from earlier series) UNI MV MSP GM1832