Telugu Desam Party (TDP) State president K. Atchannaidu has termed the results of the local body elections as ‘bogus’. The ruling party had resorted to violations, attacks and forced unanimous elections in many places, he alleged.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Atchannaidu dared Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to cancel the parishad elections and issue a fresh notification to hold the polls in a free and fair manner.
“Can the YSRCP leaders face the rising anti-incumbency factor? The party has made a mockery of all constitutional institutions and processes and the elections are no exception,” said Mr. Atchannaidu.
The TDP leader alleged that the Chief Minister had threatened his Ministers and MLAs with dire consequences including political exile if they failed to win the parishad elections. “As a result, the ruling party leaders had resorted to harassment, misuse of the government machinery and the violations of norms pertaining to the elections. The most shameful part of all was that the police and the officials of the government departments concerned became a party to the ruling party’s excesses,” he alleged.
The former Minister said that the YSRCP had been throwing the democratic norms to the winds on all possible counts since it came to power. “The parishad election results do not reflect the mandate given by the people, who are upset with this atrocious governance. These results only highlight the extreme levels to which the ruling YSRCP leaders can go in their bid to win the elections,” he added.
