Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson K. Pattabhiram has demanded that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government in Andhra Pradesh should come out with an explanation for the replacement of four officers of the General Administration (Elections) Department with the officers from other departments and filling three vacancies in it on the same day (October 6), when the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mukesh Kumar Meena issued an order imposing a ban on transfers and postings of government officials involved in the revision of electoral rolls.
In a press release, Mr. Pattabhiram said GAD Secretary Pola Bhaskar issued an office order on October 6, transferring GA (Elections) Department section officers K. Nagamani, G. Srinivasa Rao and P.V.S. Maruti Prasad and assistant section officer G. Venkateswarlu to GAD, Minority Welfare, Panchayat Raj and Rural Development and Environment and Forest Departments respectively. They were replaced by P. Ramana Reddy, Shaik Abdul Jaleel, Shaik Abdul Aleem and G.V. Raghavulu. Three vacancies were filled with Shaik Himam Vali, K. Nani and B. Sudhakar.
Making these transfers and postings on the same day when the CEO issued the ban order was ‘suspicious’ and the CEO should order an inquiry into it as the intention seems to be aiding the ‘stealing of votes’, Mr. Pattabhiram said, while noting that the Election Commission of India (ECI) was examining a complaint that the names of about 27 lakh voters were missing from the electoral rolls in the State.
