Andhra polls: DGP holds deliberations over force deployment

Hyderabad, July 30: Ahead of the third and final phase of gram panchayat elections in

on Wednesday, the State Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy today held high-level meeting with police officials over

of

.

The DGP held video-conference with Superintendents of Police, DIGs and IGs at the police headquarters here in connection with the panchayat polls and asked them to maintain vigil to meet any situation, according to an official release.

In view of violence during the second phase of elections at Darsi in Prakasam district and Pandillapalli of Khammam district, the AP police chief discussed deployment of paramilitary forces to prevent such incidents.

Violence broke out in Darsi town even as police fired teargas shells at an irate mob on Sunday which pelted stones at them after a woman candidate for a sarpanch post allegedly committed suicide after losing polls.

The kin of the deceased candidate Venkata Ratnam and TDP activists accused a Circle Inspector of abusing her regarding recounting of votes and abetting her to commit suicide, a charge police has already denied.

A CPI-M activist A Srinivasa Rao was found murdered allegedly by political rivals in Pandillapalli on Sunday that triggered widespread protests by the CPI-M cadres.

PTI