- One rule for independents and another rule for ruling party candidates?
- Nominations of independents rejected with no compunction
- But, the same rule not applied to the ruling party candidates
- Doubts on the nominations of Puvvada Ajay and Vanama
- Why ROs set aside the objections of Tummala and Jalagam?
- They asked the ROs to give in written the reasons for not rejecting
Nominations of many independents, who did not submit the nomination in the prescribed format of Election Commission of India, have been rejected. The same rules and procedures are not being followed pertaining to the nominations of ruling party candidates. The ‘partisan’ attitude of election officials is exposed blatantly pertaining to the accepting of nominations of Khammam assembly constituency BRS candidate Puvvada Ajay Kumar and Kothagudem BRS candidate Vanama Venkateswara Rao.
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Congress candidate of Khammam Tumala Nageswara Rao showed enough reasons to the returning officer to reject the nomination papers of Puvvada Ajay Kumar. He submitted documentary proof to substantiate his allegation.
“As per the ECI rule, the candidate should submit his nomination as per the Commission proforma, which has eight columns. But, the BRS candidate followed his own proforma and submitted the nomination paper with six columns against eight columns. It is strong enough reason to reject the nomination of BRS candidate”, Tummala Nageswara Rao said. He argued the same before the Khammam returning officer Adarsh Surabhi and informed about it to the district electoral officer V P Gautham. He said that the nominations of the independents were rejected on the same lines in various constituencies, but the ROs are not implementing the same pertaining to Ajay’s nomination.
Also read: BRS Kothagudem candidate Vanama’s nomination in trouble?
When RO Adarsh Surabhi not obliging his complaint, Tummala asked him to give the reasons on non-rejection of Ajay’s nomination in writing. The issue became a controversy and the opposition leaders alleged that the election officers are following the diktat of ruling party leaders and not the rules of Election Commission of India.
In Kothagudem, All India Forward Bloc candidate Jalagam Venkat Rao showed the violations in the nomination papers and affidavit submitted by BRS candidate in Kothagudem Vanama Venkateswara Rao. He said that the BRS candidate had not shown all his properties on his and heirs’ names. The tax arrears and challan arrears were not shown by BRS candidate and the column of the spouse name is not filled up. Jalagam proved the above violations by submitting documents. The Returning Officer Sirisha expressed her eagerness to accept the nomination of Vanama Venkateswara Rao. Then, Jalagam asked her to give her reasons in writing. The issue was taken to the notice of Bhadradri-Kothagudem district electoral officer Priyanka, but she did not respond positively.
Interestingly, nominations of five independents in Khammam and Bhadradri district have been rejected on the same reasons, but not that of Puvvada and Vanama. Why the ROs are blatantly showing indifference and violating the ECO rules and regulations with impunity is a million dollar question. (eom)
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