More complaints of Cong malpractices filed with CEO

The Ysr Congress Party leaders met Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal at his chambers in the Secretariat on Tuesday and complained to him that large-scale irregularities were being committed by the ruling party leaders in Kadapa lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies to  lure the voters.

The complainants later speaking to media persons said that School Education Minister S Sailajanath, leaving aside his official work, had been camping in a hotel in the Kadapa district.

Under his captaincy, cash was being distributed to the party functionaries to be passed on to the voters.

This apart, one Hyderabad-based manufacturer has been ordered to dispatch a batch of one lakh sarees to Kadapa, the YSR Congress team said.

As part of the ruling party’s irregular campaigning, 25,000 sarees carrying the Congress symbol were being distributed under the command of former Agriculture Minister YS Vivekananda Reddy’s assistants. Mr YS Vivekananda Reddy happens to be the Congress candidate for Pulivendula Assembly seat.

These activities were against the Election Code and so action should be taken against the ruling party Ministers, the CEO was informed.

Another Cabinet Minister T G Venkatesh who had been camping in KCP Hotel in Proddatur, Kadapa district for the past 10 days also resorted to distributing cash to Congress activists, it was alleged.

It was also alleged that the police were protecting the cash bags meant for distribution.

Former Proddatur Municipal chairperson V S Mukhtiar was also seen coming out of the hotel carrying cash, the YSR Congress delegation revealed.

In Lingalal mandal, Pulivendula, Sub-Inspector Yugandhar was harassing the villagers summoning them to the police station under the pretext of counselling.

At the behest of Finance Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy, the said SI was playing havoc with the lives of the villagers in the mandal which formed part of the strong hold of the Ysr Congress Party in the district.

In Badvel too, Circle Inspector Ullafaiah was harassing the villagers with the backing of ruling party leaders and Ministers, the Ysr Congress Party team alleged.

The local victims were complaining against the CI but in vain, the delegation added.

Congress ZPTC Member I Nagabhushanam, hailing from Gopalapuram mandal was caught red handed while distributing cheques to the voters, they disclosed.

Heaping up a list of complaints, Ysr Congress Party leader Gattu Ramchander accused the Congress leaders of intimidating the voters and blamed them for misusing the official machinery. “It they exhibited minimal decency or shame they would not have resorted to such unholy practices,” he said.

“If they have guts, let them display the portrait of only their leader Sonia Gandhi and not that of YSR in the Kadapa district for campaign,” Mr Ramchander said.

Another leader Shivakumar also spoke.