EC suspends Choutuppal MRO over symbols row

Hyderabad: A day after removing Munugode returning officer Jagannadha Rao over the "road roller" symbol controversy, the Election Commission of India suspended the Choutuppal mandal revenue officer on Friday for altering the election symbols in the Munugode Assembly constituency, where a byelection is scheduled for November 3.

Instead of printing "ship" on the ballot paper for electronic voting machines (EVMs), the “Boat with man and sail", symbol was printed, which was later detected and reprinted with the proper symbols.

However, Chief Election Officer Vikas Raj took this oversight seriously, suspended the Choutuppal MRO, and demanded an explanation from the other staff in charge of ballot paper printing.

It should be emphasised that the TRS had organised protests and objected to a few free symbols, notably "ship." Jagannatha Rao, the returning officer for the Munugode byelection, has been fired by the EC, and K.T. Rama Rao, TRS working president, criticised the EC's decision as another instance of how the BJP-led government at the Centre abuses its power to target political rivals.

Vikas Raj advised harsh action be taken against K.M.V. Jagannadha Rao for tainting the election process by using Rule 10 (5) of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, which denies the returning officer the authority to alter the symbol that has been assigned.

The Chief Electoral Office also filed a police case against TRS leaders after an inquiry on the complaint that they took 300 persons in buses to Sri Laxmi Narasimha Swamy temple in Yadadri for darshan and oath-taking programme.

The Model Code of Conduct teams perused photographic and video graphic evidence 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 TRS contesting candidate.