The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Telugu Desam voices apprehensions

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 01, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Telugu Desam voices apprehensions

Staff Reporter

Leaders appeal to CEO to ensure that model code of conduct is adhered to

SMILES BEFORE THE STORM: Telugu Desam leaders presenting a memorandum on the Penugonda bypoll to the Chief Electoral Officer, M. Narayana Rao, at Secretariat in Hyderabad on Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Legislature Party on Tuesday submitted yet another memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), M. Narayana Rao, seeking firm steps to ensure rule of law and to prevent a breach of the model poll code of conduct in Penukonda.

With just two days to go before the election, the MLAs led by the TDP's deputy floor leader, T. Devender Goud, conveyed their apprehensions to the CEO. They submitted a four-page complaint with lists of persons who distributed money and villages where it was given away, photographs and video clippings of news broadcasts over television channels.

At a press conference later at the TDLP office, Mr. Goud said the Congress was desperate to wrest the seat from the TDP and hence was violating rules. A lot of their misdoings had been reported in the media, the Opposition had given complaint after complaint to the Election Commission, he said regretting that despite all this the present rulers were flouting the rule of law.

Ministers draw flak

Despite being served notices, two Ministers -- J.C. Diwakar Reddy (Panchayat Raj) and N. Raghuveera Reddy - were criss-crossing the constituency in convoys with more vehicles than the prescribed three, the TDP leaders said.

They accused the Ministers of making promises and a generous dose of threats of what people could expect if they did not vote for the Congress.

Every TDP MLA and senior leader would be on hand in the State capital for the next two days, ready to agitate if democratic principles continued to be given the go-by, Mr. Goud said.

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