Parties transporting workers to city to rig MCH elections

hyderabad:with polling for the elections to the municipal corporation of hyderabad just 48 hours away, all the main parties are reportedly bringing in supporters from neighbouring districts. the duties of the 'imports' include casting bogus votes, impersonation and threatening voters and rival party workers at the polling booths. in order to prevent this, the police commissioner has issued search orders at lodges, hotels and even function halls all over the city.according to the additional commissioner of police, k aravind rao, supporters of all the major parties were coming to the city from the neighbouring districts. these people, who have been specifically brought in for 'mischief' are put up at function halls and lodges. "many of these people have already arrived, but we are finding it difficult to trace all of them as many of them are staying with their relatives," he said. however, so far no one has been taken into preventive custody, he said. railways sp shikha goel, confirmed the arrival of workers belonging to various parties from neighbouring districts.according to the sp, distinguishing the 'mischief makers' from the ordinary passengers was difficult as after arriving here party workers do not spend much time at the railway stations. according to the sp, intelligence collection at the railway stations was done with specific objectives such as tracking naxalites movements. the department has not been asked to gather information on political activists who arrive at the railway stations, she said. the assistant traffic manager of the mg bus station, sagarkrishna, too said there has been an increase in the number of passengers to the city from districts. "most of these people are coming from nizamabad, mahboobnagar, nalgonda and other districts," he said. according to sagarkrishna, there has been an increase of 5 to 10 per cent in the occupancy rate in the rtc buses from the neighbouring districts. however, it is difficult to ascertain as to what per cent of the passengers coming here were party workers, he said. "one would expect most of them to travel by cars and jeeps as these vehicles give them mobility during their stay in the city," he said.