Kuppam Civic Poll: TDP furious over 'withdrawals'

Tirupati: TDP created a ruckus in Kuppam over the suspicious withdrawal of its candidate from 14th ward in the ongoing municipal election process on Monday night. Following the incidents at municipal office, on the complaint given by commissioner V S Chittibabu, police registered non-bailable cases on 19 TDP leaders including MLA Nimmala Ramanaidu, former minister N Amaranatha Reddy, TDP Chittoor Parliament in-charge Pulivarthy Nani, former MLC Gounivarsi Srinivasulu, P S Munirathnam, P Manohar and others.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Palamaner DSP C M Gangaiah made it clear that the outsiders against whom cases were registered have to leave the town immediately. He said that the incidents that took place on Monday night were very unfortunate and painful in which some people belonging to a political party have resorted to manhandling a municipal official and broke the glass door of the chamber. For conducting a peaceful poll, the outsiders should leave the place or else action will be initiated on them, he said.

Earlier, TDP cadres expressed their anger at municipal office after the withdrawals' list was displayed in which they found that their candidate's name in 14th ward was shown as withdrawn paving the way for YSRCP candidate to win unanimously.

They argued that the candidate was not in the town and how he could withdraw his nomination. Even the candidate Prakash and his wife Tirumagal who also filed nomination as dummy candidate released a video that they were 300 km away from Kuppam and there was no chance of withdrawing their candidature.

Angry TDP cadres, including its senior leaders, staged a protest at the municipal office but were soon pushed out by the police. In the process, they pulled Amaranatha Reddy and other leaders as well during which his shirt was torn off.

Later, the cadres staged a dharna on the Kuppam main road. Party chief N Chandrababu Naidu also took the case seriously and discussed with other leaders on the next course of action. The party has been preparing to file a legal petition raising objections over the forged withdrawal of its candidate.

Meanwhile, TDP state Secretary Gajula Khadar Basha participated in door-to-door campaign in 16th ward and appealed to the people to vote for party candidate G Harsha Dharma Teja. He said that Chandrababu Naidu during his stint as CM spent Rs 46,000 crore for BC sub-plan in five years whereas the present Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy diverted Rs 18,226 crore from BC corporations. He also listed various instances in which the government acted against the interests of BC communities.