HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee has asked the State Election Commission to register criminal cases against TDP leaders, including its president N. Chandrababu Naidu, for trying to thwart the peaceful conduct of panchayat raj elections.

In a memorandum submitted to State Election Commissioner A.V.S. Reddy, a delegation led by APCC secretary D. Nagender said this was necessary for the smooth conduct of polls on July 2. He charged Mr. Naidu with provoking people against the Government by giving a call to them to revolt against the Government.

The delegation said the TDP held out threats against people during the Municipal Corporation of Hyderabad Mayoral elections. It was trying to repeat the same in this elections.

At a separate press conference, APCC spokesmen — Paladugu Venkata Rao and N. Tulasi Reddy — said by criticising the SEC and the Government, Mr. Naidu exposed himself as a "weak leader who is unable to fight the Rajasekhara Reddy Government."

Stating that all the parties but for the TDP had accepted that the poll process was by and large peaceful, they wondered as to why Mr. Naidu had no trust in the democratic process. They launched a trenchant attack on N.T. Rama Rao's son N. Harikrishna who joined the TDP recently.

Staff Reporter writes: Meanwhile, the TDP has demanded Dr. Reddy to quit owning moral responsibility for his alleged failure to "prevent large-scale misuse of power" by ruling party leaders in the first phase.

At a press conference here on Thursday, Polit Bureau member Alladi Rajkumar said any number of written complaints to Dr. Reddy had been in vain.

This was despite providing evidence in the form TV clippings and news reports of TDP agents being forced out of polling booths and subsequent `rigging,' he noted.

Party general secretaries — Mullapudi Renuka and E. Peddi Reddy — urged the SEC to ensure free and fair polling in the second phase at least.

`Norms thrown to the wind'

Party leaders demanded repoll in all polling booths in Kadapa district alleging that democratic norms were thrown to the wind.

Later, a delegation of party leaders went to the Raj Bhavan and in the absence of Governor C. Rameshwar Thakur handed over a memorandum to his Secretary M.G. Gopal.

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