KADAPA: Telugu Desam Party functionaries on Wednesday staged a three-hour rasta roko at Puttaparthi junction in Proddatur town demanding re-election of upa sarpanch of Gopavaram panchayat in Proddatur mandal.

TDP State Minority Cell chairman V.S. Ameer Babu, district TDP vice-president M. Venkataswamy, Proddatur constituency TDP in-charge M. Linga Reddy, district organising secretary K. Ramesh Reddy and Telugu Yuvatha State organising secretary R. Venkatasubba Reddy also demanded arrest of Proddatur MLA N. Varadarajulu Reddy and Proddatur DSP S.M. Basha on the charge of manipulating the Gopavaram upa sarpanch election.

Action promised

They later took out a rally to the DSP's bungalow and staged dharna before it demanding his suspension. Mydukur DSP Mahesh Yadav apprised Collector M.T. Krishna Babu and Superintendent of Police Y. Nagi Reddy of the situation and told TDP leaders that appropriate action would be taken within two days. Thereupon, TDP functionaries gave up their protest.

They alleged that ruling party leaders and the police colluded to ensure victory of Congress candidates. Congress had lost the people's confidence but won the recent ZPTC and MPTC elections by rigging and bogus voting with the help of the police, they alleged. The same trick was repeated in panchayat elections, they claimed. The TDP leaders accused the MLA of engineering the kidnap of a panchayat ward member backed by the TDP and forcing him to express support to the upa sarpanch backed by the Congress. They flayed the arrest of Mr. Linga Reddy, who staged a peaceful dharna against alleged poll irregularities. TDP district secretary Kamisetty Babu, district Telugu Mahila president M. Lakshmi Prasanna and Proddatur town TDP president Khaja Mohiuddin took part.

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