Prove LPG tax claim, I'll quit post: Telangana Minister T Harish Rao to Eatala Rajender

KARIMNAGAR:  Finance Minister T Harish Rao challenged former minister Eatala Rajender to prove his allegation that the State government had imposed a tax of Rs 291 on LPG cylinders. "If you (Rajender) prove this, I will quit my ministerial post. If you don't, then you should have the guts to withdraw your nomination in the Huzurabad bypoll," Harish said, while addressing an election campaign at Penchikalpet village on Tuesday.

Harish alleged that Rajender did nothing for his constituency even though he had enjoyed the post of a Minister in Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's Cabinet. "What makes you think he will bring development to the constituency now," he asked the voters.

The Minister went on to allege that the BJP leader had been distributing Rs 300 to people who wished to join TRS rallies, so that they would stay home. "Even if you bribe them, they will come out and vote for the TRS," he said.

Bank transactions under EC scanner

KARIMNAGAR: The Election Commission has intensified surveillance of bank accounts of people in the Huzurabad Assembly segment. District Election Officer and Collector RV Karnan held a meeting with a group of bankers here on Tuesday and directed them to keep a tab on the transactions.

"If any account crosses 1 lakh transactions, the Commission should be informed. Even transactions via Google Pay, Phone Pay and other online banking systems are under surveillance. Political parties are approaching voters with money to influence them. It is to curb this practice that we are monitoring bank transactions," the Collector said.

He appealed to the parties to keep the poll free and fair, while cooperating with the EC. The Collector added, "If politicos hold Huzurabad election meetings and campaigns in the neighbouring constituencies, their expenditure will still be taken into account."