In a significant move to ensure transparency in grassroots democracy, the Telangana State Election Commission has issued stringent guidelines prohibiting the declaration of unanimous or uncontested elections for sarpanch and ward member positions without proper verification of corrupt practices.
Strict Scrutiny for Uncontested Wins
State Election Commissioner I Rani Kumudini revealed that the commission has directed district collectors and election officers to refrain from declaring any panchayat election as unanimous until conducting thorough inquiries. This decision comes following multiple reports indicating attempts to manipulate election processes in various gram panchayats across the state.
The commission emphasized that unanimous elections must genuinely reflect voters' mandate and not result from underhanded tactics. According to the new protocol, any complaints against such elections will trigger an immediate summary inquiry that must be completed within 24 hours by the District Election Authority (DEA).
Rapid Response Mechanism Against Corruption
The SEC has empowered DEAs to establish special monitoring cells that will verify reports of election malpractices through multiple channels. These cells will investigate complaints received via email, WhatsApp, oral submissions, and even newspaper reports concerning auctioning of positions, inducements, intimidation, or coercion.
In cases where the DEA determines that the election environment has been compromised extensively, they will submit a detailed report to the state election commission recommending the cancellation of elections in affected gram panchayats and wards. Based on the evidence presented, the SEC will then issue fresh election notifications for the contested positions.
Mandatory Declarations and Swift Clearance
Returning Officers have been instructed to obtain crucial declarations from both withdrawing candidates and uncontested candidates. Withdrawing candidates must confirm their decision is voluntary, while single candidates must declare that no corrupt practices were employed to achieve unanimous election status.
These documents will be collected during the nomination withdrawal process to prevent future delays. When only one candidate remains after the withdrawal deadline, the Returning Officer will prepare the result sheet and forward it to the DEA along with the mandatory declarations.
The circular explicitly states that if no complaints of auctioning, intimidation, inducement, or coercion are received, the DEA must issue a no-objection certificate for declaring uncontested election results immediately. This entire verification process must be completed on the same day as the withdrawal deadline, ensuring timely resolution.
This comprehensive framework represents Telangana's commitment to preserving the integrity of local governance institutions and ensuring that grassroots democracy functions without manipulation or corrupt influences.
