TDP demands repolling in Tirupati

Nellore: TDP leaders on Sunday urged Returning Officer K V N Chakradhar Babu to conduct repolling for Tirupati Lok Sabha seat as the ruling YSRCP resorted to bogus voting in the elections. Party leaders SK Abdul Aziz, Ch Venkateswara Reddy, P Krishnaiah and Tirumala Naidu submitted a letter to returning officer requesting him to recommend to the ECI for the repoll.

Abdul Aziz said that Telugu people across the globe were shocked to observe the irregularities in the byelection. He asked YSRCP as to why they had polled bogus votes sending people from other areas of Chittoor district when their leaders claimed that their party would win with a thumping majority of 5 lakh votes. He said that the Central Election Commission had absolutely failed in conducting the elections in a free and fair manner.

Ch Venkateswara Reddy said all parties demanded repolling as ruling party resorted to huge irregularities in the byelection. Autos, buses, vans and even media vehicles were engaged for shifting fake voters from various parts of district. He said the YSRCP leaders, unable to digest huge response from the people for the Opposition, planned bogus voting and hence they used all possible methods to rig the elections.

P Krishnaiah said around 30,000 people were shifted to Tirupati city for polling and the party leaders had lodged a complaint with the election observer Dinesh Patil on Saturday itself on the situation and he failed to act instantly. He said the ruling party had completely violated the election norms and added a team from the party would meet the officials of ECI in Delhi and explain the situation and demand the repoll.