Election Commission suspends former Tirupati deputy commissioner for creating 35,000 fake EPIC cards

AMARAVATI: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Andhra Pradesh has ordered the suspension of P Chandramouliswar Reddy, former deputy commissioner of Tirupati Municipal Corporation for acting as ERO and downloading 35,000 EPIC cards from ERONET of 167-Tirupathi Assembly Constituency.

At present, Chandramouliswar Reddy is working as assistant director, at Mission For Elimination Of Poverty In Municipal Areas (MEPMA), Vijayawada.

The orders clearly stated that approximately 35,000 digital EPIC cards of voters belonging to 167-Tirupathi Assembly Constituency were downloaded from the ERONET in respect of electors who were not new and who had not applied for the replacement of EPIC during March-April, 2021.

The Election Commission of India in its communication had directed the AP State Government that officers or staff responsible for such serious omission should be immediately placed under suspension till pending investigation or inquiry.

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According to the Chief Electoral Officer, AP Chandramouliswar Reddy who was deputy commissioner, of Tirupati Municipal Corporation at that time was notified as ARO for 23-Tirupati Parliamentary Constituency and RO for 167- Tirupati AC vide the AP Gazette Notification, on March 17, 2021.

The said officer was never notified by the Election Commission as ERO of 167-Tirupati AC. However, Chandramouliswar Reddy assumed the duties of ERO and exercised the functions of ERO in contravention of the established procedures. He appeared to be one of the responsible officers as his name and phone number figured in the ERO profile as ERO of 167-Tirupati Assembly Constituency in 2021.

His role would be investigated by the police concerning such downloads of EPIC without forms and for assuming a statutory responsibility of ERO without him.