TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu blasts SEC, shoots off missives to President, Amit Shah

VIJAYAWADA: Raising eyebrows, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday found fault with State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar for allegedly failing to ensure that the first phase of the panchayat elections were free and fair. 

Launching a broadside against the SEC, he said at a press conference, “who wants such farcical elections? You (SEC) should act as a referee. We have withdrawn the election manifesto following your direction. But you have failed in exercising your rights and in implementing the rules.’’

Stating that the party has already approached the High Court over the alleged election irregularities, the TDP chief said as the SEC had failed in taking appropriate action, they were forced to take legal recourse. “We are also writing to the Central Election Commission, Union Home Minister and the President, explaining what is going in the State,” he added.

Naidu, who had claimed to have won 38 per cent of the panchayats just the other day, expressed concern that the SEC could not get erring officials transferred either. In the same breath, he also trained his guns on the Governor accusing him of being a mute spectator to the unsavoury episodes.

Later, Naidu shot off letters to the President and Union Home Minister Amit Shah complaining against the alleged irregularities in the conduct of the local polls and the failure of the SEC.