Election Commission shifts 3 officials on TPCC complaint

Khammam: The ruling TRS received a shock on Tuesday with the Election Commission ordering the shifting of district collector D.S. Lokesh Kumar, SP Shahnawaz Khasim and Palair returning officer and special deputy collector of railways Ganesh for extending  support to the ruling party in the Palair Assembly bypoll.

The EC issued orders regarding the shifting of the officials and also directed the state government to send a list of names of officials who will replace the trio. The EC action came after it concluded that the three officials had been negligent while checking violation of the election code by TRS leaders in Palair. The EC responded to the complaint given by Telangana Congress leaders on Tuesday.

TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy and others had met Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi in New Delhi and complained about the violation of the Model Code. In their complaint, the Congress leaders had said that collector and SP were given postings after TRS candidate Tummala Nageswara Rao took oath as a minister.

Elsewhere, revenue and police officials rushed to Palair and started removing the TRS flexis put up for the plenary, after coming to know of the EC’s orders.