Ongole: Sarpanch candidate demands vote recount

Ongole: The sarpanch candidate of the Uppugunduru village in Naguluppalapadu mandal demanded that the Collector to order recounting and do justice to her. She, along with her supporters staged a protest in front of the district Collectorate on Friday and submitted a representation to officials.

According to PalapartiAlekhya, she contested for the sarpanch post of Uppugunduru panchayat and the Election Commission had allotted her a 'Ring' symbol for the polling on February 9. She said that the polling was peaceful and at the time of the counting at the ZP High School, the authorities ordered that the counting agents cannot go out until the process was complete in all 14 wards.

She complained that the CI of police threw out her agents by warning them, after the counting was done for 7 wards but allowed the agents of her opponent. She said that the polling officials had announced that she had a majority of 74 votes by the end of counting and declared as the winner. But after a phone call is received by the Returning Officer, he changed the result and declared that the candidate contested on 'Scissors' symbol won by 131 votes.

When questioned about the change of result, the officials forced her out threatening that she had already signed accepting the result and no one can change it now.

Alekhya demanded that the Collector intervene in the matter and verify the evidence and witnesses and do justice to her by conducting a recounting. She pleaded with the district election officer to initiate action on the officials acted against the rules and changed the result after the phone call.