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Friday, Mar 23, 2007
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EC orders prosecution of 3 MLAs

Special Correspondent

The legislators along with 5 civic councillors face charge of irregularities

HYDERABAD: The Election Commission of India has ordered the Collectors of four districts— Guntur, Chittoor, Mahabubnagar and Nalgonda-- to initiate prosecution proceedings against Congress MLAs T. Venkata Rao, Sk. Subhani (Guntur district) and S. C.V. S. Naidu (Chittoor) and five municipal councillors. They will be charged with committing irregularities in the elections to the Council from local authorities constituencies (LACs).

Sources said that the EC is also likely to order re-poll in at least 20 polling stations in the four districts and further postpone the counting of votes in the Local Authorities Constituencies till the first week of April.

This decision was taken at a meeting convened by the Chief Electoral Officers of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu deputed by the Commission to investigate complaints of irregularities in local authorities' constituencies (LACs) election for the Council. They discussed the complaints of irregularities with the Chief Electoral Officer of AP V. Bhaskar here on Thursday and also watched video clippings of the polling that served as corroborative evidence.

According to sources, the CEOs had found that the MLAs exercised undue influence over the electors either through their sheer presence or in the form of words during voting on March 17. The probe panel also recommended prosecution of five councillors from three districts -- Nalgonda, Chittoor and Mahbubnagar under Sec 171 of IPC (exercising undue influence on voters). It is understood that the EC team is also likely to recommend action against several election officials for complicity in the irregularities. Meanwhile, the counting of votes for the Upper House from the MLAs' quota was delayed by more than three hours. Counting could not begin as scheduled at 5 p.m. as the Returning Officer Tuljanand Singh sought the EC's opinion on a complaint by the TDP that a Congress MLA deliberately tore the ballot paper and was given a second ballot.

At around 8.30 p.m., the word came from the EC that the disputed ballot paper of Mr. Bapineeedu be kept aside and the counting of other votes be taken up. All but one of the 294 members of the Assembly took part in the voting.

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