Hyderabad, Oct 7 Congress leader Naveen Yadav, who is seen as the front-runner for the party ticket to the by-election to the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency in Telangana, was on Tuesday booked by police for "violating" the Election Commission of India guidelines.
On a complaint by an election officer, a case was registered against him for distributing voter ID cards and allegedly attempting to influence voters.
The case has been registered at Madhura Nagar Police Station on a complaint by Electoral Registration Officer G. Rajinikanth Reddy.
The action came after a local Telugu daily carried a report with photographs about a programme in Madhura Nagar, where Naveen Yadav distributed voter ID cards.
The case has been booked under Sections 170, 171 and 174 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 123 (1) and 123 (2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, relating to corrupt practices.
Naveen Yadav is one of the three candidates shortlisted by the Congress party. His name is likely to be cleared by the party's central leadership.
The action against Naveen Yadav came a day after the Election Commission of India announced that the by-election would be held on November 11.
The Model Code of Conduct came into effect in the Hyderabad district on Monday with the announcement of the by-election schedule.
The vacancy is caused by the death of sitting MLA Maganti Gopinath of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in June.
The official notification for the by-election will be issued on October 13, while the last date for filing nominations is October 21. The scrutiny of nominations will be held on October 22, and withdrawal of candidature will be allowed until October 24.
Counting of votes will take place on November 14, and the election process will be completed by November 16, 2025.
BRS has announced Gopinath's wife, Maganti Sunitha, as its candidate. The Congress and BJP have not yet announced their candidates.
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