Hyderabad: Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on Tuesday called for immediate intervention by the Electoral Commission of India (ECI) on the alleged distribution of money, liquor by the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leaders in the Nagarjuna Sagar Assembly, which polls on 17 April.
In his letter to Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, Uttam Kumar Reddy, TPCC chief, the ruling TRS party even in the recent MLC election of the graduates constituencies used the large distribution of cash and liquor.
“It was so unbridled that the TRS cadre distributed about Rs 1000 to Rs 2000 per vote and drink for a few days before the election, and also on polling day near the polling stations themselves,” the Congress leader claimed.
“Despite my written complaints (with evidence) to the CEO of Telangana and district officials with videos of TRS leaders distributing money, no action was taken. It is widely believed that the ruling TRS party may have spent more than R100 million in each MLC constituency. The same situation now continues in the current by-election in Nagarjuna Sagar (vote on 17 April 2021) in Telangana, ”reads the letter.
He further claims that Sarpanches and other elected representatives of the congress party are being bought by outside TRS party leaders.
The Congress leader said that there is a chance of the distribution of the COVID-19 while thousands of people from local and other places camp in the Nagarjuna Sagar constituency.
‘Many non-locals are already camping in the constituency. He said all non-residents should be asked to leave the constituency immediately. “Thousands of vehicles must now be seized, which are now used in the by – elections without permission and are not taken into account in the TRS candidate’s expenditure register,” Reddy said.
He further requested that the central forces check posts and check all vehicles for cash and liquor.
“The ECI to make sure that the Covid-19 guidelines should be followed during the public meeting of Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on April 14 and request that the boundaries of this constituency be closed to restrict outsiders from entering the constituency, ”he added.
He further claims that the chief executive and the joint chief executive of Telangana, the district officials and the returning officer of this election are not doing enough to ensure a free and fair election in the Nagarjuna Sagar by-election. Unless the ECI intervenes in an urgent and effective manner, the by-election will not be free or fair, he added.
Source: The Siasat Daily