A day after the YSRCP objected to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu reviewing the progress of the Polavaram and Capital city projects stating that it was a violation of the model code of conduct, the TDP on Friday said it did not amount to breach of any election code as Mr. Naidu was the Chief Minister for the full five-year term.
Addressing the media here, TDP MLC Y.V.B. Rajendra Prasad asserted that Mr. Naidu had the constitutional power to monitor the administration and look into the difficulties faced by the people till the election process was over.
“If not Mr. Naidu, who else will keep a tab on the government’s functioning?” he questioned. He also wondered how the Election Commission of India (ECI) was concerned about it.
“If not the Chief Minister, who will review issues such as drinking water shortage in villages. Should people suffer because of the long gap between the polling date and counting of votes?” Mr. Prasad asked. TDP national spokesman L. Dinakar pointed to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh holding a review meeting, and said if it did not attract the code, how was it applicable to the stock-taking by Mr. Naidu.
Mr. Prasad said the ECI should also explain how it appointed L.V. Subrahmanyam, who was allegedly involved in a scandal, as Chief Secretary.
‘Double standards’
The ECI should also explain as to what prevented it from talking to TDP’s IT expert Hari Prasad on the status of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) even as it promptly responded to issues raised by YSRCP MP V. Vijaya Sai Reddy, who was an accused in several cases.
The ECI’s double standards stood exposed, he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who did not utter a word about the welfare of the Backward Classes (BCs) in the last five years, started playing the BC card to derive electoral mileage, he said. He was clearly appealing for votes on the basis of religion and caste, the MLC alleged.
