The attempt of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders to stage a protest before the State Election Commission (SEC) alleging “kowtowing to the ruling Telangana Rastra Samiti (TRS) during the just concluded GHMC polls campaign at the expense of the opposition parties’ was foiled by the police on Monday morning.
Party leaders led by N. Indrasena Reddy, MLC N. Ramchander Rao, MLA M. Raghunandan Rao and others reached the SEC office at Masab Tank but before they could take up any protest, the police swooped them into different vehicles and later dropped them at the party office in Nampally.
“The TRS government has totally misused the official machinery during the campaign and the SEC did not act on a single complaint filed by us whether it was on denying the opposition parties a chance to put up hoardings and signboards or taking of action against the officials and police for favouring the ruling party,” they complained at a press conference later.
“The BJP was denied permission for hoisting giant publicity balloons but the TRS was allowed to do so. Despite electioneering ending last evening, TRS hoardings continue to be on Metro Rail pillars whereas those belonging to the opposition were torn or removed,” claimed Mr. Reddy.
He accused the TRS of indulging in largescale distribution of money and liquor to influence voters even as the police personnel have been focusing on checking activists of other parties. “Our party activists are being summoned to the police stations for no reason. Our complaints to the SEC have not led to any action,” he lamented.
Mr. Rao questioned the SEC/government action in preventing teachers from election work and denying them postal ballots too.
“The TRS wants to win this election by hook or crook and has been resorting the same undemocratic and unethical means employed during the Dubbak bypoll. We will stand up to these illegal actions. We are confident of winning as people are with us,” he added.
Defamation notice
Former Member of Parliament G. Vivek Venkataswamy said defamation notices to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and City Police Commissioner Ashwini Kumar have been sent through his lawyer for making false allegations against his company when ₹1 crore was recovered during the recent Dubbak bypolls. “The police commissioner succumbing to the pressure from Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao announced that the money belongs to my firm - Visakha Industries, without even filing a FIR or an investigation. The city was not even under the model code of conduct then. If they do not reply to the notice, we will file a criminal case and ₹100 crore defamation charge will be filed,” he said.
