Charging minister in the caretaker government G. Jagadish Reddy with violating the Model Code of Conduct and District Collector cum District Election Officer K. Surendra Mohan with going soft on it, Congress leaders demanded that the EC should initiate immediate action.
Senior Congress leader Ramreddy Damodar Reddy speaking to media here on Saturday, said Mr. Jagadish Reddy through his followers was distributing notebooks and cricket kits carrying images of both the former MLA and TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao, while the poll code was in force.
“The notebooks and kits are printed with his and KCR images to influence voters. This is a violation of the code,” he said.
Earlier, Bharatiya Janata Party leader S. Venkateswara Rao had also took up the issue and petitions from both the parties were submitted to Mr. Surendra Mohan.
According to the leaders, the former minister, also the TRS candidate from Suryapet, was distributing the material for the past one year under ‘S Foundation’ or ‘Guntakandla Savitramma Foundation’, named after his mother.
Several leaders alleged that the past programmes were ‘like official’, with government banners and saw active participation from the district administration.
‘No action taken’
However, now, even after the poll code came into force on September 6 evening, Mr. Jagadish Reddy’s followers were continuing with the distribution, they alleged. At least two petitions were submitted to the DEO but no action was initiated, they said.
Officials said based on Mr. Venkateswara Rao’s petition an inquiry by RDO was instituted a few days ago.
