HYDERABAD: Their sole aim was to emerge as better alternatives to the mainstream politicians. But with their nomination papers rejected, these Independent candidates’ objective is defeated. And they are squarely blaming the Election Commission for ‘lack of guidance’.
K Mohan, a resident of Moosapet, is one of many Independent candidates who filed nominations for December 7 Assembly elections but their papers were rejected.“I was not guided by the returning officers or those under him. They failed to help me in getting the details right while filing my nomination papers,” alleged the 32-year-old who filed his nomination from Kukatpally. Mohan, later complained to the central election commission, the chief electoral office of Telangana and even the Prime Minister. This time, a total of 465 nominations in the State were rejected by the EC. Nearly half of them are of the Independent candidates.
The EC, however, maintains that it is the responsibility of candidates who file nominations to get the procedures right.“We cannot guide the candidates at offices in filing nominations. It is not practical to guide candidates in filing nominations,” an EC official said. With regard to rejection of nominations of candidates from national and regional recognised political parties, the official said that multiple nominations were filed by same candidates.
“Many nominations were rejected as candidates did not produce Form B given by registered, recognised or unrecognised political parties,” the official explained. Surprisingly, in many constituencies where nominations were filed in single digits, the candidates were not given legal support by the advocates in the areas.
‘Candidates not given legal support’
D Sreenivasa Moorthy, founder of ‘Swathanthra Abhyardhula Vedika’, said that in Suryapet the advocates have not supported candidates in filing paper. “In SC and ST-reserved constituencies also the advocates did not extend their support,” he said. In Banswada, Boath, Nirmal, Armoor, Yellareddy, Andhole, Station Ghanpur and Yellandu there are five or less Independent candidates whose nominations were accepted.