Telangana has been anxiously waiting for the local body elections for some time now. Finally the Election Commission has released the schedule for the local body elections. Elections will be held in 3 phases. In this background, there is an election buzz across the state. Candidates contesting in local body elections are busy trying to please the voters. But in the wake of the release of the notification for the first phase of the election, incidents of unanimous election of candidates have already taken place in many villages. In this background, the Election Commission has given key instructions on the unanimity for the positions of Sarpanch and Ward Member.
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The Election Commission has issued key instructions to the Election Officers on the conduct of Panchayat elections. It has issued orders to pay special attention to unanimity for the positions of Sarpanch and Ward Member through auction. It has ordered to set up a special monitoring department for the auction of Sarpanch and Ward Members posts in the elections. Reports of auctioning, luring, intimidation, coercion and other related activities should be reported in writing by election officials in real time, it said.
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District Election Officer coordinating monitoring center to verify receipt through WhatsApp, verbal complaint, newspaper clippings etc. The Returning Officer (RO) should obtain a statement from the candidates withdrawing nomination (Annexure-I) confirming that their withdrawal is voluntary. According to Section 211 of the Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018 RO declaration (Annexure-II) is to be obtained from single/non-contesting candidate confirming absence of auction, inducement and coercion.