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The integrity of the Andhra Pradesh Pharmacy Council (APPC) elections has been severely undermined by specific and grave allegations levelled by Annappa Reddy, president of the IPGA Andhra Pradesh chapter.
This is the first pharmacy council election since the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in 2014. The last time registered pharmacists in the region exercised their franchise was in 2010, when the council operated under the unified state of Andhra Pradesh, making this a pivotal moment after a 15-year hiatus.
Reddy’s central claim targets a specific candidate, R. Sravan Kumar, son of R. Narayana from Pudipatla village in Tirupati, who is a contestant in the election. The IPGA president alleges that Sravan Kumar possesses dual pharmacist certificates, two distinct renewals, and consequently, two votes for the same individual. According to Reddy, the candidate’s serial numbers in the official electoral roll are listed as 21346 and 58263. Reddy warned that if Sravan Kumar wins, he would face automatic disqualification, necessitating a fresh election for his seat.
This accusation goes beyond simple administrative error, implying a deliberate and fraudulent manipulation of registration records within the official electoral roll. If proven true, dual registration allows an individual to exert unlawful influence by casting multiple votes, effectively cheating the system and compromising the democratic mandate of the election. The IPGA argues that the returning officer failed fundamentally in the scrutinization of the electoral roll, allowing such discrepancies to persist.
Speaking to Pharmabiz, Reddy noted that these claims fuel existing controversies surrounding the APPC’s voter list. The registry has previously been challenged in court over the inclusion of fake names and issues regarding pharmacists holding conflicting dual roles. This systemic failure to maintain a clean and accurate database of professionals has led to a significant loss of public confidence in the current administration’s oversight.
The situation is further complicated by alleged procedural irregularities. Reddy claims the election process is non-compliant with the original official gazette notification, citing an unofficial extension of the nomination withdrawal date from the 19th to the 20th. This change is presented as a procedural violation, reinforcing the belief among professional associations that the entire election framework is compromised and is not being conducted according to established legal rules.
In response to these findings, the IPGA president has formally demanded that the candidate in question be declared ineligible, which would necessitate a fresh election for that specific vacancy. Crucially, he is calling for immediate action against the Registrar and Election Officer, reflecting a critical loss of trust in the administration's ability to conduct the polls fairly under the strict directives of the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
Parallel to these efforts, the IPGA Telangana chapter has filed a case with the High Court of Andhra Pradesh demanding the cancellation of the current notification and the issuance of a fresh notification for re-election. The court has posted the matter for a hearing on December 26th. Reddy has announced his intention to file an Amendment Petition on that day to bring these new allegations of dual certification directly before the bench.
Despite the mounting legal challenges, the pharmacy council is proceeding with the scheduled process. Ballot papers have already been dispatched, and voter ballots are currently being returned to the council by mail. As it stands, the counting of votes is fixed for December 27th, and the result will be announced on the evening of the same day.
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