Telangana: EC removes returning officer who nixed candidate’s symbol opposed by TRS

Yuga Tulasi Party candidate Kolisetty Shiva Kumar approached the commission after the returning officer for the Munugode Assembly bypoll cancelled his road roller symbol overnight.

Written by Sreenivas Janyala

Hyderabad | Updated: October 21, 2022 02:29 AM IST

2 min read

TRS minister K T Rama Rao objected to the action and pointed the finger at the BJP. (Twitter/@MinisterKTR)

The Election Commission replaced the returning officer in Telangana’s bypoll-bound Munugode Assembly constituency on Thursday after he cancelled a candidate’s symbol—road roller, one of the symbols the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi wants disallowed over “resemblance” to its car symbol.

The commission’s action against Jagannath Rao came after Yuga Tulasi Party candidate Kolisetty Shiva Kumar approached it, and a local court, against Rao’s decision past Wednesday midnight to cancel the symbol he had been allotted through a lottery system.

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TRS minister K T Rama Rao objected to the action and pointed the finger at the BJP. “The BJP is misusing its powers and constitutional bodies and this is the latest example,’’ he said, adding that “road roller” had been removed from the list of symbols in 2011 but was recently introduced to hurt his party.

The commission replaced Jagannath Rao, who is the revenue divisional officer of Nalgonda, with B Rohit Singh as the new returning officer. It also sought an explanation from Rao and reallotted the road roller symbol to Kumar.

The commission, which wrote to state chief electoral officer Vikas Raj seeking a compliance report on its action, said in a statement that as per rule 10(5) of the Conduct of Elections Rules, only the commission is empowered to revise allotted symbols. The returning officer’s “order is void, being bad in law and facts”, it said.

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The commission also noted that the returning officer had not heard Kumar before changing his symbol, “which is against the principle of natural justice”.

Contending that its votes would get split because of confusion over symbols, the TRS has petitioned the commission to not allot camera, chapati roller, road roller, television, ship, sewing machine and soap dish—symbols that the party says look like its car symbol on electronic voting machines.

Sreenivas Janyala

Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More

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