Hyderabad: BJP accuses SEC of kowtowing to TRS

Hyderabad: BJP senior leader and national executive member Nallu Indrasena Reddy has come down heavily on the State Election Commission (SEC) and stated that it has completely surrendered to the ruling TRS.

Addressing the media here on Tuesday, he said, "The TRS and the MIM are trying to spin several conspiracies to stop the BJP advancing in the ensuing GHMC elections. But, none can stop the victory of the saffron party."

He said for years people were accustomed to tendering their votes using EVMs. But, for strange reasons, the SEC has decided to conduct polls using ballot paper, this was despite the BJP and other democratic institutions opposing the same. Particularly, at a time when the Covid scare was not yet subsided, the SEC's decision to conduct civic polls with ballot paper was nothing more than a pro-ruling party stance, he alleged.

He expressed fear that conducting elections using ballot paper would allow rigging and capturing of booths, besides purchase of votes by the ruling party. Calling the SEC's decision a backward step, he said that the ruling party and the MIM have been misusing the power.

Indrasena Reddy said that the people in the State were angry with the TRS for failing to deliver on its electoral promises like making Hyderabad a world-class city, 100 days action plan, good roads, renovation of water bodies and lakes. Similarly, the State government has cheated people on its promise of constructing double bedroom houses for the poor.

The BJP senior leader has also found fault with the SEC's decision to conduct the election on a working day, against the general precedent to hold the civic body election on a holiday like Sunday.

He demanded the State government and the SEC to declare December 1 as a general holiday under Shops and Establishment Act to enable people to exercise their franchise on the day of election falling on December 1.

Taking a dig at the SEC, he said that it looked the independent body responsible to hold elections in a free and fair manner has suppressed all necessary information to the opposition parties and toeing the line of the ruling dispensation in the State.

"The Commission declared the notification but it has so far not sent the booth details and the lists of voters to the political parties," he said, seeking an answer for such shortcomings.