The Election Commission of India suspended Telangana’s director-general of police Anjani Kumar after he and two colleagues were seen presenting a bouquet to state Congress president Anumula Revanth Reddy, the frontrunner for the chief minister’s post.

An EC source said the DGP’s act was violative of the model code of conduct as well as the relevant conduct rules. In 1971, the EC had instructed all chief secretaries to ensure neutrality of officers.

The source said: “The director-general of police, Telangana, along with Sanjay Jain, state police nodal officer, and Mahesh Bhagwat, nodal (expenditure), had met Shri Anumula Revanth Reddy…. The DGP opting to meet a contesting candidate out of a total of 2,290 candidates, who is also the star campaigner of one political party out of 16 political parties in the fray, with a flower bouquet at the residence of the candidate when the counting process was still underway, along with two or more senior police officers, is clear indication of mala fide intention of seeking favour.”

He added: “Any misconduct on the part of the DGP Telangana not only sets a wrong precedent but sends incorrect signals to the field formations who are still in the process of conducting elections.”