Former MLA from Congress Gone Prakash Rao, who is staying away from active politics now, has requested the Election Commission to cancel the ongoing by-election to Munugode Assembly constituency following splurge of money by parties across the board and termed it “vulgar and obscene”.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner on Thursday, he stated that sale of liquor in Nalgonda district in October 2021 was worth ₹132 crore and it was about ₹165 crore in 22 days of October in just Munugode constituency. He alleged that TRS and BJP had spent hundreds of crore since August this year, after the resignation of the seat by Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy.
He cited the reports published by Telangana Vidyavanthla Vedika and Human Rights Forum, after field visits, about how the flow of liquor and money was soaking the streets in the constituency at the behest of the two parties. He mentioned that a new form of expenditure was being done on Munugode as parties vied with each other in gifting mutton, chicken and liquor to the electorate during the recent Dasara and Deepavali.
Mr. Prakash Rao further explained that workers of all major political parties were distributing tokens in villages on daily basis for getting free liquor and mutton in shops. All this was going on against provisions of the Representation of People Act. The ruling TRS had deputed entire Cabinet, legislators and other elected representatives and allotted them villages to influence voters, he alleged.
“This is the first time the kind of electioneering is taking place in Munugode, wherein over 100 MLAs in the 119 member House (Assembly) of the ruling party have been engaged in the exercise. Except for the party infrastructure, the BJP too is trying to match TRS in every aspect”, he wrote to the Election Commission.
Citing a Supreme Court judgment and provisions of the Constitution, Mr. Prakash Rao requested the Election Commission to cancel the by-election, polling for which is scheduled on November 3, and schedule it for a later date after drafting measures to ensure that democracy was not reduced to street comedy.
