The Election Commission has appointed former Indian Revenue Service officials Madhu Mahajan and BR Balakrishnan as Special Expenditure Observer (SEO) for the coming Bihar Assembly elections.
Bihar goes to polls in three phases beginning on October 28 with counting of votes on November 10. Elections will be held to elect 243 members of the Assembly.
At the moment each candidate contesting the upcoming elections can spend up to ₹28 lakh.
The SEOs, who have been appointed in consultation with the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar will be “supervising and monitoring the work being done by the electoral machinery and ensure that stringent and effective enforcement action is undertaken based on intelligence inputs and complaints received through CVIGIL, voter Helpline 1950 against all persons/entities trying to induce voters by distributing cash, liquor and freebies, etc,” the Commission said in a statement.
The statement adds that Mahajan was also appointed as SEO for Tamil Nadu and Karnataka during Lok Sabha Election, 2019 and Maharashtra Assembly Election, 2019.
Balakrishnan was also appointed as SEO for bye-election to Huzurnagar Assembly Constituency in Telangana for the elections held in 2019.