The TDP is making a hue and cry on the Election Commission’s decision to order a repoll in five booths in Chandragiri Assembly constituency only to divert the attention of people and create confusion among them, YSRCP State general secretary Dadi Veerabhadra Rao has said.

The recommendation of the District Collector is not needed for issue of the repoll orders It was common for the Opposition parties to complain to the Election Commission, when the Collector or other officials favour the ruling party during the elections. The EC would conduct an inquiry on the complaints and, if it was satisfied, it would issue orders for a repoll, the YSRCP leader told a media conference here on Friday.

He recalled that the TDP had lodged a complaint with the EC alleging malpractices in the repoll held in Visakhapatnam, following the death of Congress leader Dronamraju Satyanarayana, during the Congress rule. The then Election Commissioner IJ Rao came to Visakhapatnam, conducted an inquiry, and ordered a repoll.

‘Massive rigging’

Mr. Veerabhadra Rao wondered whether then District Collector or Returning Officer had recommended the repoll. He alleged that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was seeing everything under the magnifying glass and trying to create confusion among people. He alleged that the TDP cadres had stopped tribal voters in Chandragiri and indulged in massive rigging on the polling day on April 11.

The CC camera footage was analysed for a month and repoll was ordered in five booths. The YSRCP leader ridiculed Mr. Naidu’s contention that the Chittoor Collector Pradyumna had not recommended the repoll. He said that the TDP fears defeat in the event of a re-poll in Chandragiri. “Is it fair on the party of the TDP to obstruct SC/ST voters, fearing they would not vote for the party”?

He said it was unfortunate that the TDP was making wild allegations that the EC was favouring the YSRCP. He said that the YSRCP had not complained to the EC when the TDP wooed women voters by transferring money into their accounts in the name of ‘pasupu kumkuma’, three days before the election. The party had decided not to complain to the EC as it would deprive women of that money.

He alleged that the TDP was planning to create law and order problems at the counting stations all over the State to stop the YSRCP from coming to power in the State.