State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar has directed Civil Supplies Minister Kodali Sri venkateswara Rao (Nani) not to speak to the media till the end of the panchayat elections in the state. Until then, the SEC has made it clear that Kodali Nani will not speak at meetings, to media, or with his groups.
The SEC directed the Krishna District Collector, SP, Vijayawada Police Commissioner to make sure that these orders are implemented effectively. Minister Kodali Nani’s remarks to the SEC at a press conference were highly objectionable and were likely to tarnish the image of the Election Commission, and Ramesh Kumar had given him a ‘show cause’ notice to give an explanation later in the evening.
The Minister replied to the SEC through his lawyer Chiranjeevi. He said that he did not make those remarks intentionally. Nani said the opposition party had held a press conference to expose the anarchy over the results of the first phase of panchayat elections. The minister said he had respect for constitutional institutions, especially the Election Commission, and demanded that the show cause notice be withdrawn. Being unsatisfied with this, Ramesh Kumar issued seven-page long orders taking action against the minister.