Producers Guild polls: Candidates want security

CHENNAI: A group of candidates contesting the June 26 elections for the Film and TV Producers Guild submitted a petition to the Commissioner of Police in Egmore on Thursday, seeking protection for the smooth conduct of the elections.Around 10.30am, 25 members of the Guild, who are in the poll fray for various posts, arrived at the commissionerate to meet the CoP. Led by R V Mahalingam, who is running for the president’s post, they alleged they were receiving threatening phone calls since announcing their candidature for the elections scheduled for Sunday at German Hall, T Nagar. “They are receiving threat phone calls over the landline number at their houses,” Mahalingam said.He said elections for the guild’s office-bearers were held every two years. In the 2009 polls, Giridhar Lal Nepal was elected as president. “This time, I am in the fray for the top job and I have fielded around 25 of my supporters for the other posts,” he said. Since they suspected there could be trouble on polling day, they submitted a petition to the CoP seeking protection, he added.