The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Outgoing CEO strikes a philosophical note

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Mar 01, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Outgoing CEO strikes a philosophical note

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Chief Electoral Officer of the State, M. Narayana Rao, who has been marked by the Election Commission for replacement, has taken the news of the Election Commission's move to shift him in his stride.

Speaking to The Hindu here on Tuesday, he said: "It makes no difference to me. Today one post, tomorrow another. I have no attachment to any particular post."

The report by the Election Commission's two-member team which had gone into allegations of irregularities indulged in by parties/candidates and Ministers during the Visakhapatnam I byelection, contained some "serious findings," according sources. It prima facie found that candidates or parties, in fact, had distributed money, liquor and benefits like saris to the voters and that the elections were not free and fair. It spoke of Mr. Rao being lenient on the irregularities, the sources said.

Uncommon features

The Visakhapatnam I bypoll was marked by three uncommon features --announcement of the poll schedule merely after a month of the death of the present incumbent while a six-month period is statutorily available to fill the vacancy; postponement of polling by three days to avoid a clash with the dates for the Presidential Fleet review; and transfer of the district Collector for designating an officer as returning officer for the poll before the commission's approval.

After receiving report from its team, the Election Commission faxed a letter to State Chief Secretary T. K. Dewan with the direction to replace the CEO. He has been asked to send in a panel of three names so that the commission could select one of them for the post.

As both the Chief Secretary and Secretary (political) C. R. Biswal are away in Delhi, the Government may take one or two days to submit the list.

Mr. Narayana Rao has been in the post for six years now.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail