TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu has appealed to the State Election Commission (SEC) to conduct an inquiry and take stringent action against the officials who erred during the counting process in the Kothavalasa gram panchayat elections in Vizianagaram district.
In a letter to the State Election Commissioner on Thursday, Mr. Naidu said that the elections had witnessed “unprecedented violations, manipulations and malpractices.”
Elections to the Kothavalasa gram panchayat clearly exposed the violations and manipulations of the ruling YSRCP leaders and a section of officials, he alleged.
Boni Tirupati Rao, who was not supported by the YSRCP, had contested for the post of sarpanch there and won the elections by a majority of 268 votes, Mr. Naidu said.
“However, the Returning Officer at the counting centre, P. Ramesh Babu, had declared Macha Yerri Ramaswamy, a YSRCP-backed candidate as the winner,” he said.
Mr. Tirupati Rao had a majority of 154 votes by the end of the 19th round of counting and secured another 114 votes majority by the end of the final 20th round.
In spite of Mr. Tirupati Rao having a clear majority, the Returning Officer had announced Mr. Ramaswamy as the winner, he alleged.
