The relatives of a sarpanch candidate in the fray, owing their allegiance to the TDP, were arrested on the charge of smuggling liquor from Karnataka and hoarding it in their residence on Tuesday.
Eswaraiah and Gopi, both relatives of Maheswari, the sarpanch candidate of Mangalam panchayat falling under Chandragiri Assembly constituency, were arrested by the Alipiri police on the charge of smuggling liquor from the neighbouring Karnataka.
Though the two denied the charge, they were taken to the police station.
Taken aback at the accusation within hours of the panchayat going to the polls, TDP district president Pulivarthi Nani, who is also in-charge of Chandragiri, rushed to the police station and staged a protest, demanding that the two be be released forthwith.
Mr. Nani alleged that the two were framed under false cases as they were busy in mobilising support ahead of the elections.
“The ruling party is bent on either threatening our candidates with dire consequences or getting them arrested in false cases,” Mr. Nani alleged.
He also accused the police of playing sidekick to the ruling party leaders and acting at the whims and fancies of the ruling dispensation.
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