One more official suspended in bogus voter card case

Tirupati : One more senior official was suspended in the preparation of a bogus voter ID cards during the Tirupati Lok Sabha byelection in 2021. P Chandramouleswar Reddy who was working as Tirupati Municipal Corporation deputy commissioner and was recently transferred to Vijayawada is suspended by the Election Commission of India. As many as 35,000 bogus electoral photo identity cards (EPIC) were allegedly prepared in connivance with corporation officials during the bypoll.

In all, 22 persons, including senior officials were indicted in the case. Then municipal corporation commissioner P S Girisha who was ERO (later Annamayya district collector) was already placed under suspension.

As enquiries are still going on, many other officials are likely to face action.

It may be recalled that the opposition parties, including TDP, Jana Sena, BJP and Left parties demanded a probe on bogus EPIC cards. After it came to light bogus voters cards were distributed on large scale during Tirupati Lok Sabha byelection.