The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : TDP agents forced out of booths: Naidu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 03, 2006

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

TDP agents forced out of booths: Naidu

Staff Reporter

Telugu Desam president accuses legislators of indulging in rigging

HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu has alleged that the party poll agents were forced out of booths at several places by the Congress leaders, including Ministers and MLAs, during the final phase of polling for Panchayat elections on Sunday.

He told a press conference here on Sunday that despite innumerable memoranda and complaints, inaction by the administration and the State Election Commission (SEC) had led to TDP members being at the receiving end in districts.

Police presence

Wherever the TDP was strong, he alleged, the police presence was ensured and the Congress leaders, who were given a free hand, resorted to every trick in the book to rig the polls. Where the Congress was strong, he alleged, ruling party MLAs entered the booths, pulled out TDP agents and indulged in violence and malpractices.

In a memorandum submitted to SEC, TDP detailed 36 instances of irregularities and incidents and cases of violence against TDP leaders, activists and agents. In Mahabubnagar district, Deputy Floor Leader in the Assembly N. Janardhan Reddy was detained by a group of Congressmen.

In Bapirajugudem of Pedavegi mandal in West Godavari district, Congress legislator Maganti Babu allegedly entered a booth and indulged in rigging.

Likewise, in Kanaparru of Nadendla mandal, in Guntur, TDP agents were prevented from entering the booths as Congressmen went on a rigging spree, the memorandum stated.

In Visakhapatnam, Commerical Taxes Minister Konathala Ramakrishna's brothers entered the booth and resorted to malpractices. Yet, there was no action taken by SEC.

White paper

Mr. Naidu demanded SEC publish a white paper with details of incidents reported on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. "Let SEC release the paper and we will counter with facts we have and evidence we have collected," he said.

The TDP president asked State Elelection Commissioner A.V.S. Reddy to introspect and come up with an answer whether SEC had done its job of ensuring free and fair poll.

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