Change in ballot order triggers controversy

The change in the order of candidates contesting the Mysore parliamentary constituency has turned controversial with the Janata Dal (S) raising strong objection to it, the Congress supporting the action of the District Election Officer (DEO) and the DEO once again defending his action.

JD (S) candidate B A Jiviaya charged at a press meet on April 17 of “an intentional change by the DEO with a view to help the Congress candidate, amounting to gross violation of the election law.”

His election agent R G Narasimha Iyengar had lodged a complaint with the Central Election Commission Observer for Mysore about the irregularity. Letters would be addressed to the State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and the Central Election Commission also, he said.

Jivijaya demanded the immediate transfer of DEO P Manivannan from Mysore as, “We cannot expect fair election from him.”

Narrating the background, Iyengar said after the withdrawal of nominations on April 13 last day at 3 pm, the DEO failed to notify the final list of candidates in Form 7A as explained in Chapter III, Para 17 of the People’s Representation Act. When he contacted the election authorities, he was told that the list would be published on April 14 after the approval of the CEO, Bangalore.

Meanwhile, he came to know that the name of the Congress candidate, who had been placed in No.3 position in the list provided to them after the process of withdrawal, had been moved to No.1 position in the order of candidates in the ballot and JD (S) candidate Jivijaya had been pushed down to position 2.

He had immediately written to the DEO taking an objection to this and saying that it amounted to “not only an irregularity but also it was illegal, unfair.”

Iyengar further said he had addressed a complaint to the Election Commission Observer on April 16, pointing out that the action of the DEO in considering the prefix of the village name ‘Adagur’ of Adagur H Viswanath, instead of the first letter of his name ‘V’ and placing him in Serial No.1 in the ballot, was a violation of Chapter IV (withdrawal of candidature) Para 9.4.

In the Assembly elections last year, Jivijaya said the very same DEO had rightly considered the Congress candidate’s first letter ‘V’ only and not the prefix ‘Adagur’. He had gone against his own decision and made a change, “acting as a Congress agent,” he charged.

The JD (S) candidate, however, expressed confidence of his victory.

At a separate press meet, KPCC member Mohan Kumar rejected the JD (S) leaders’ charge and defended the DEO’s action.

“The DEO has acted as per election rules and regulations. Afraid of defeat, the JD (S) was trying to malign the DEO and the Congress candidate,” he said.

At his press meet later, Manivannan defended his action again and said as the Congress candidate’s name appeared in the electoral list, nomination paper and the affidavit as ‘Adagur H Viswanath’, he was placed in No.1 position in alphabetical order as per Rule 8 of the People’s Representation Act.