District Collector V. Anbuselvan has ordered the suspension of Returning Officer of Kumalangulam panchayat Subramanian after he declared the losing candidate as the winner in the election to the panchayat following a mix-up in the names of two contesting candidates — Jayalakshmi and Vijayalakshmi.
Of the 2,860 that were polled, Ms. Jayalakshmi bagged 1,710 votes and was declared the winner.
According to official sources, the action followed after an enquiry committee constituted by the Collector confirmed that Mr. Subramanian committed the mistake and wrongly declared Ms. Vijayalakshmi as the winner in spite of clarification by Assistant Returning Officer Kavithai that the former was declared as winner following a mix-up in the names.
The swearing-in ceremony of Ms. Vijayalakshmi was postponed on Monday after a large number of residents, especially women, laid siege to the panchayat office in support of the actual winner, said the sources.
