EC appoints special expenditure observer for Jharkhand polls

The Election Commission (EC) on Sunday appointed retired bureaucrat B Murali Kumar as special expenditure observer for the upcoming Jharkhand Assembly elections.

Kumar will be working in consultation with Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinay Choubey and will be "supervising and monitoring the work being done by the electoral machinery".

"The observer will ensure that stringent and effective enforcement action is undertaken based on intelligence inputs and complaints received through C-VIGIL, Voter Helpline 1950 against persons and entities trying to induce voters by distributing cash, liquor or freebies," the EC said in a statement.

Kumar was a 1983 batch IRC officer and has worked in the Investigation Wing of Income Tax Department. He was also appointed the special expenditure observer for the 8-Vellore parliamentary constituency and for the recently-concluded Maharashtra Assembly elections, it said.

Jharkhand will go for five-phased election from November 30 to December 20 in the popularity test of BJP-led government led by Chief Minister Raghubar Das. The counting of votes for the 81-member assembly will take place on December 23.