The situation regarding fraudulent entries in the voter list in Andhra Pradesh has escalated. Over the past few days, leaders of the Telugu Desam Party have been pointing fingers at the ruling party, alleging their involvement. These concerns were brought to the attention of the Election Commission, which prompted action. Payyavula Keshav, the PAC chairman and a prominent TDP leader, also formally raised concerns about fake votes during a recent session of the AP assembly. In response, the Election Commission initiated an inquiry.
Bhaskar Reddy, currently serving as the Zilla Parishad CEO and the Election Returning Officer, found himself implicated in this controversy. Consequently, the state government, acting upon the orders of the Election Commission, decided to suspend him, and the formal suspension orders were issued on Sunday.
Keshav formally lodged a complaint with the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), alleging that approximately 6,000 bogus votes were included in his constituency and that a significant number of legitimate votes were deleted. Following this complaint, the Election Commission officials launched an investigation in Uravakonda.
During this investigation, evidence emerged pointing to Bhaskar Reddy’s involvement in the manipulation of votes, both deletion and addition. Consequently, the Election Commission directed the Andhra Pradesh Chief Secretary to promptly suspend Bhaskar Reddy. However, due to a lack of response from the Chief Secretary, the Election Commission reiterated its orders. Ultimately, the state government responded by suspending Bhaskar Reddy from his position.