Konda name confusion in Chevella ballot papers: HC refuses to pass orders

Hyderabad: A division bench of the Telangana High Court, comprising Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Anil Kumar Jukanti, refused to pass any orders in the petition filed by BJP Chevella Lok Sabha candidate Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, seeking changes in the serial numbers on the ballot paper.

He said an independent candidate, whose name was the same as his — Konda Vishweshwar Reddy from Padmanagar of Karmanghat — is listed just after his name in the ballot paper. This could confuse the voters, he contended.

The BJP candidate sought a direction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to maintain a distance of ten numbers in the ballot paper between him and his namesake so that voters are not confused.

The petitioner sought a direction to the ECI not to finalise the serial numbers till his plea was redressed.

Chief Justice Aradhe observed that it was the ECI’s discretion to take a call on the plea of the petitioner. He observed, “it is for them (ECI) to accept your representation or reject it… there is no adjudication of the writ petition.”

Avinash Desai, standing counsel for ECI, said that the poll panel could not take a call on the representation of the petitioner as the model code of conduct was in vogue.