Beijing, Jan 2 (IANS): Senior political advisor Tong Mingqian has been removed from public office and expelled from the Communist Party of China (CPC) for dereliction of duty, a party statement said Thursday.

Tong had served as vice chairman of the Hunan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

As party chief of Hengyang City in Hunan, Tong was in charge of local elections in 2012 and did not take effective measures to handle bribery cases exposed during the polls, the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection said in a statement.

This caused a major electoral fraud that "inflicts great losses to the interests of the Party, country and the people, and leaves a harmful political and social impact", the statement said.

The mass vote fraud scandal in Hunan was made public late last month, while the election took place during a session of the local legislative body of Hengyang between Dec 28, 2012 and Jan 3, 2013.

Preliminary investigation shows 56 lawmakers elected to Hunan provincial people's congress offered bribes to 518 municipal lawmakers, and 68 staff members. The bribe money exceeded 110 million yuan ($18.14 million).