In an unprecedented move, the Election Commission has shifted Rangareddy District Collector Praveen Prakash from his post, in view of his poor track record during elections.

The EC sent the directive to Chief Electoral Officer I V Subba Rao on Friday, ordering that Prakash be shifted before the May 29 by-elections to the Assembly and Lok Sabha. A by-poll will be held in the Vikarabad constituency in Rangareddy district.

The state government was asked to suggest the names of three IAS officers for the post by Saturday afternoon. The EC then selected Dana Kishore to be the new collector of Rangareddy district.
 
The Election commission had ordered the removal of Prakash as the collector and district magistrate of Visakhapatnam [Images] during the assembly by-election in the Vizag-I constituency in 2006. He had earned the wrath of the EC for replacing the Returning Officer without its permission.  

He was then posted as the East Godavari district collector but was shifted within three months and appointed as the Managing Director of the Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited at Visakhapatnam.

He was transferred and posted as the district collector of Rangareddy only a few months ago. The EC told the state government that the 1994 batch IAS officer should not be associated with the election process.