Even after forcing the Jagan Mohan Reddy government to transfer the collectors of Chittoor and Guntur, besides Tirupati superintendent of police, on the occasion of gram panchayat elections, state election commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar continues to be targeting these two districts.
On Friday, Nimmagadda ordered that the district collectors of Chittoor and Guntur put on hold the declaration of results in gram panchayats which had reported unanimous elections till the SEC gives its clearance.
Nimmagadda sought reports from these two district collectors in the wake of reports that a large number of gram panchayats in these two districts had been declared unanimous. He said the trend was not consistent with the State trend.
Apparently, the SEC claims to have got complaints from the local Telugu Desam Party leaders that the ruling YSRC had forced unanimous in several gram panchayats.
Especially in Palnadu region of Guntur, there had been reports of several gram panchayats being declared unanimous.
Calling for reports from these collectors, Nimmagadda asked the collectors not to go ahead with the declaration of unanimous results, till he gives its clearance.
“Only on the examination of the detailed reports sent by the collectors, the commission shall take further course of action,” he said.
He also warned to serious action in case of any failures with regard to any functionary in this regard as per these reports.
However, Nimmagadda expressed satisfaction over the progress of gram panchayat elections in all the 13 districts.
“The pre-poll arrangements are quite satisfactory and there is a conducive atmosphere for conduct of free and fair elections. There are no visible instances of forced unanimous elections taking place in the state,” he said and complimented both the collectors and the SPs of all the districts.
