Hyderabad, Dec. 17 (Maxim News): Telangana panchayat elections witnessed a controversial incident in Rangareddy district, raising serious questions about the conduct of polling duties.
The incident occurred in Sheriguda village of Shankarpally mandal, where the panchayat election process has already concluded. However, developments after the polling have led to strong objections from defeated candidates, who have now approached higher authorities with formal complaints.
According to the available details, the controversy centres on the role played by a polling officer during the election. In Sheriguda, the sister of a sarpanch candidate reportedly served as the polling officer.
This development created unrest among rival candidates and villagers. The matter gained traction after the sarpanch election result was declared, with the candidate related to the polling officer emerging victorious.
The defeated candidates alleged that the presence of the candidate’s sister as a polling officer directly influenced the outcome. They claimed that her involvement compromised the fairness of the Telangana panchayat elections in the village. Following the results, the losing candidates submitted a complaint to senior officials, demanding action and a thorough review of the polling process.
Meanwhile, the complainants stated that Anitha, the sister of the winning sarpanch candidate, acted as the polling officer during the election.
They alleged that because of her role, they lost the election unfairly. The defeated candidates, identified as Mounika and Gangabhavani, claimed that Anitha’s name did not initially appear in the list of officials assigned election duties. However, they alleged that she was sent directly from the MPDO office despite her name not being officially listed.
Furthermore, the candidates questioned how Anitha was allowed to perform polling duties without an official order copy.
They reportedly confronted the MPDO over the issue, seeking clarification on why a person without prior inclusion in the duty list was permitted to handle election responsibilities. The complainants argued that this violated standard election norms and damaged the credibility of the Telangana panchayat elections in the village.
As a result, the issue has now reached higher authorities, with demands for an inquiry into the role of the MPDO and the polling arrangements.
The incident has been added to the list of unusual and controversial events reported during the Telangana panchayat elections, highlighting concerns over transparency and adherence to election rules. Officials are yet to make their response public, while the complainants continue to press for accountability. (Maxim News)
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