Allegations of high scale malpractices in voters’ enrollment in the ongoing MLC elections from graduate and teachers constituencies in Andhra Pradesh has attracted ire of the Hyderabad High Court. The court even threatened to monitor the whole process of voter enrollment for the election.
Taking a serious view of the enrollment of ineligible persons in voter in the state, a division bench of the High Court directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to submit a report giving the names of the officials responsible for the said irregularities, details of action taken against them and other relevant details by February 21.
The bench of acting chief justice Ramesh Ranganathan and justice Shameem Akhter gave this direction on a petition filed by G Obulu of Rayalaseema Development Committee, which alleged that the election authorities had failed to address the complaints about enrollment of bogus and ineligible persons in the voters’ list prepared for the coming MLC elections in Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur; and Chittoor, Nellore and Prakasam districts graduates/teachers constituencies.
Senior counsel A Satya Prasad, appearing for the petitioner, said 84 complaints of enrollment of ineligible persons were brought to the notice of officials but only 40 names were deleted from the list. As per rules, only those who obtained their graduation degrees by 2013 are eligible to become voters in the current election, he noted
Meanwhile, CPM state secretary P Madhu said his party was equally opposed to undemocratic methods the state government was using to win MLCs from three graduate and two teachers constituencies in the state for which elections are scheduled in March. He recalled that on Feb. 6, the chief minister, at a meeting of headmasters and Education Department officials, had sought their support in winning the elections.
He accused that this apart, the ruling party was resorting to unlawful and unethical methods in enrolling those who are not eligible as voters in the teachers and graduates constituencies.
