Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada   

Row over saree distribution at Ibrahimpatnam

By Our Staff Reporter

VIJAYAWADA, APRIL 21. The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Wednesday found itself in a piquant situation after some followers of the party's Mylavaram candidate and former Minister, Vadde Sobhanadreeswara Rao, were found distributing sarees and napkins at Ibrahimpatnam mandal.

Protesting against the alleged attempt to influence voters, Congress activists led by the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) secretary, Malladi Vishnu, and the District Youth Congress president, J. Ramesh, staged a dharna in front of the Ibrahimpatnam police station demanding the arrest of the Minister and his followers.

The Ibrahimpatnam Circle Inspector, Y Jaganmohan Rao, told The Hindu that 21 bales of napkins, which carried an appeal to vote for Mr. Sobhanadreeswara Rao, were seized from some TDP supporters around 3 p.m., following complaints from the Congress leaders. He said the seized material has been sent to the Mylavaram Returning Officer for "further action.''

Mr. Vishnu alleged that besides the napkins the TDP activists were also distributing sarees to influence the voters. He said the party lodged a complaint with the police after Mr. Ramesh personally caught one of the TDP activists distributing sarees. Efforts to contact Mr. Sobhanadreeswara Rao proved futile.

However, his personal assistant, K. Suresh, said the former Minister was in no way responsible for the distribution.

He said some "admirers" of Mr. Rao had distributed the material in view of the visit of the party president, N.Chandrababu Naidu, on Thursday. But there was nothing illegal or improper about it, he said.

"Those who distributed the napkins have all relevant bills,'' he maintained. The Minister, he said, was not even aware of the incident as he is busy campaigning in the villages.

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