– State Election Commission has issued new guidelines, it was revealed
Nizamabad, November 29 (Gatla News): District Election Officer and Collector T. Vinay Krishna Reddy has warned that strict action will be taken if anyone tries to force unanimity in local body elections. He said that the State Election Commission has issued new guidelines to this effect. He said that if everyone is united and the Sarpanch and ward members are elected unanimously through a collective decision, it will be a welcome development. However, he made it clear that attempts to force unanimity by offering money and instilling fear should not be ignored at all. He said that this is an ax to the electoral system and the spirit of democracy. Referring to this matter, the State Election Commission said that it has ordered strict action to be taken against those who try to force unanimity. The Collector said that the State Election Commission has issued new rules and guidelines regarding unanimous votes to ensure that elections are held in a completely transparent and impartial environment. He said that a “mandatory verification” system has been implemented before concluding that an election is unanimous. He said that a monitoring cell will be set up to examine what elements are hidden behind unanimous votes, and a written declaration will be taken from the sole candidate remaining in the contest as well as from the candidates who withdrew from the contest. Those who withdrew from the contest will have to give a declaration that they were not threatened by anyone, and the sole candidate remaining in the contest will have to give a declaration that he did not force anyone. The District Election Authority will examine them thoroughly, confirm that the decision was unanimous by collective decision and issue a no objection letter, and only then will the result of the unanimous election be announced, the Collector said. In this process, if it is determined that unanimous votes were held anywhere against the election rules, action will be taken against those responsible. He said that there is a possibility that the State Election Commission may cancel the said election. Keeping this in mind, the Collector advised everyone to work towards strengthening democracy so that every election and every victory honestly reflects the opinion of the people.
