HYDERABAD: Election to Mahbubnagar-Rangareddy-Hyderabad Teachers’ constituency Legislative Council, which was held on Thursday, has been cancelled because of a goof-up in printing of photographs of candidates on the ballot paper. The Election Commission of India (ECI) ordered re-election for MLC seat on March 19.
The goof-up, however, proved costly to the state exchequer as the cancellation of the election posed a burden of Rs 2 crore. “The expenditure by ECI for Thursday’s poll is `1.5 crore. We have to spend `50 lakh more for re-election,’’ an official said. As many as 12 candidates were in the fray for the Teacher’s constituency elections in the state and the total electorate is 23,789.
While printing the ballot papers, the pictures of two independent candidates were swapped on the ballot paper. The picture of Aadhi Laxmaiah was printed against Manik Reddy and vice versa. While Laxmaiah and Manik Reddy demanded immediate cancellation of polls, PRTU and other teachers’ unions which were hopeful of winning elections wanted continuation. “All voters are teachers and educated. Swapping of photos does not matter. The election should be continued,” PRTU leader B Mohan Reddy demanded. The contesting candidates and their followers protested in front of polling booths at some places.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Bhanwarlal took up the matter with ECI in Delhi, which ordered for a repoll. In the recent Teachers’ MLC elections in Uttar Pradesh, similar mistake took place. EC cancelled the election and the same was followed in Telangana too, officials said. However, Bhanwarlal said in the first proof of the ballot paper, the photos were rightly printed. “We noticed some spelling mistakes and suggested some deletions while reading the first proof. But, surprisingly, while carrying out the corrections, the printing press officials jumbled the photos, which went unnoticed,” Bhanwarlal explained.
The ballot papers were printed at Chanchalguda government printing press. “We will inquire at what level the mistake was committed. We will inquire whether it was done at the printing level or before printing,”
he said.
The investigation report would be out before March 19, he said adding that if anyone found guilty would face criminal cases.