The votes of Progressive Democratic Front have not only remained intact but increased in the 2017 election to North Andhra Graduates’ Constituency, MLC M.V.S. Sarma has said.
The votes had gone up from 23,000 in 2007 to 34,000 in 2011 and now stood at nearly 38,000 first preference votes and it showed that the support to PDF nominee A. Aja Sarma had increased, he said at a press conference here on Wednesday.
It’s a moral victory for various associations that supported Mr. Sarma, he said. In four of the five teacher and graduate constituencies, barring the North Andhra, PDF nominees had won and it was a verdict of the educated, graduates and teachers against the TDP-BJP Government, he said.
At a press conference on Wednesday, he alleged right from the beginning of the process with enrolment and the ruling party had misused power, pressurised voters and offered inducements. Central Ministers and leaders had put voters under pressure. Instead of various associations participating, the ruling party and its leaders took a very active part.
While the PDF had campaigned on the development of North Andhra, the ruling TDP-BJP combine made no attempt to answer such questions but only worked with the sole motive of winning election.
Mr. Aja Sarma said he had campaigned with dignity within democratic norms whereas the ruling party had spent money lavishly taking the election as a prestige issue.
He regretted that for election to the House of Elders caste associations were brought into the picture and some people in top positions were directly involved in campaigning. In spite of all the pressures, he had increased the votes because so many voters stood by him and thanked them for their awareness. He thanked YSRC, CPI and CPI(M) for extending support.
Mr. Sarma, general secretary of Forum for Development of North Andhra, vowed to continue for the development of the region.
Congress nominee Yedla Adiraju congratulated Mr. Madhav and said he would continue to fight on issues relating to graduates from North Andhra.
