New Delhi, Oct 4 (IANS): The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday appointed two Special Expenditure Observers for the bypolls in Telangana and Sikkim, which are scheduled to be held on October 21, the poll panel said.

B.R. Balakrishnan, a former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer of 1983-batch, has been appointed as Special Expenditure Observers for Telangana, while serving IRS officer Suresh Kumar (1988-batch) has been given the charge of Sikkim.

In Sikkim, by-elections will be held in Poklok-Kamrang, Martam-Rumtek and Gangtok Assembly seats, while in Telangana, bypoll will be held in the Huzurnagar Assembly segment.

The ECI appointed the officers exercising the powers conferred on it under Article 324 of the Constitution and Section 20B of The Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Balakrishnan had served as the Director General of Income Tax (Investigation) in Bengaluru earlier, while Kumar is presently posted as the Principal Commissioner of Income Tax (Central) in Ahmedabad, the ECI said.

The special observers 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 via C-VIGIL, Voter Helpline 1950 apps against the persons or entities trying to induce the voters by distributing cash, liquor and freebies, the ECI said.

Bypolls to 51 Assembly seats and two Lok Sabha seats will be held across 17 states and one Union Territory on October 21. The counting of votes will take place on October 24.