THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief electoral officer Tikaram Meena has said that DGP did not have to step down as part of the regulations to be implemented for the assembly polls. He said that the present guidelines are not applicable to the DGP and if any measure is to be taken against him it will be decided by the central election commission.

Earlier the poll panel has issued an order to remove those police and revenue officers who have fulfilled three years in their existing official positions. Following this, it was expected that DGP Loknath Behra also needs to step down as he is continuing in the position of DGP for the last three years. But the chief electoral officer has made it clear that Behra could continue in the position during the course of polls.

Teekaram Meena also said that the poll panel has decided to conduct the assembly polls in Kerala by April last week or May first week. Election notification will be issued by the second week of March. The greatest reform in this period is that senior citizen above the age of 80 and handicapped persons can cast their votes without even visiting their poll booths. If they submit an application to the district collector concerned then provision would be made available for them to cast their votes via postal ballot.