VIJAYAWADA: Taking serious view of the complaints of large-scale violence during the filing of nominations for elections to urban local body elections, MPTCs and ZPTCs in the state especially in Chittoor and Guntur districts, the State Election Commission on Sunday directed the State government to transfer district collectors and SPs of both Guntur and Chittoor districts.

It also recommended suspension of Macherla CI and transfer of certain police officials in Chittoor and Anantapur districts. Addressing the media here, State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar said the Commission was aware of the large-scale violence reported during the election process and incidents where people were allegedly prevented from filing nominations and threatened to withdraw their nominations and instances of violence targeting prospective candidates and their supporters.

Stating that it is undesirable and casts a shadow over the conduct of free and fair elections in the state, Ramesh said the Commission was concerned that the local machinery, district administration and the police had acted either in collusion or in a lackadaisical manner and had not taken effective steps to prevent the situation.

He said Commission would like to take certain deterrent steps so as to send a clear signal that the Commission would not tolerate such kind of aberrations in the election process.

The SEC also recommended the state government to shift collectors of both Chittoor and Guntur along with the SPs and replace them with acceptable officers in consultation with the Commission.

Macherla CI suspended

Taking a serious view of the Macherla incident, Ramesh Kumar said Circle Inspector of Macherla had registered cases under mild and bailable sections against the attackers and released them on station bail.

“Only after the Commission intervened, Sections 307 and 153 of the IPC were added to the case, which should have been done in the first instance. We recommend suspension of Macherla Circle Inspector and the government should replace him with the efficient and effective officer,” he said.

The Commission also recommended transfer of Srikalahasti and Palamaner DSPs and CIs of Palamaner, Rayadurg, and Tadipatri. The Commission said it is aware of the large-scale violations during the filing of nominations in Macherla and Tirupati, hence it has put the election process of those two places under the scanner. After six weeks, the SEC will review the situation and if needed will not hesitate to issue fresh schedule for elections 

Cracking the whip  

Transfer of Guntur and Chittoor collectors and SPs  

Suspension of Macherla CI

Transfer of Srikalahasti and Palamaner DSPs and CIs of Tadipatri, Palamaner and Rayadurg