The State election authority has initiated action against K.M.V. Jagannatha Rao, the former returning officer of Munugode Assembly constituency, for changing the allotted symbol to independent candidate K.V. Shiva Kumar.
The election authority, Chief Electoral Officer Vikas Raj, said the returning officer had vitiated the election process by invoking Rule 10 (5) of Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, as the provision did not confer any powers on the returning officer to change the allotted symbol. The development follows the replacement of the returning officer after the Election Commission of India took a serious view of the action by the returning officer in changing the election symbol ‘road-roller’ allotted to Mr. Shiva Kumar to Baby Walker without consulting the special observer and without intimating the contesting candidate in advance.
A release by the CEO’s office said a police case had been registered against the TRS leaders after inquiry on the complaint that they had taken 300 persons in buses to Yadadri temple darshan and oath-taking programme. The Model Code of Conduct teams perused the photo and video evidences of the event and the police filed a case (Cr. No. 581/2022 u/s 188, 171 (1) r/w) 171 (F) IPC) apart from including the expenditure involved in the name of the TRS candidate.
The CEO’s office said that in printing ballot papers for Electronic Voting Machines, instead of ship, boat with man and sail were printed and it was identified and reprinted with correct symbols. The CEO took a serious note of the lapse and suspended the Choutuppal mandal revenue officer besides calling for explanation from other officers tasked with printing of ballot papers.
