TRS accused of unfair practices

​Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India (ECI) was flooded with complaints from Opposition parties against the TRS here on Monday. The Opposition leaders alleged that the TRS had indulged in unfair practices by violating the model code of conduct in the poll-bound Telangana.   

A 12-member EC delegation, headed by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Om Prakash Rawat, arrived in Hyderabad on a three-day visit on Monday to study the arrangements being made for the conduct of the elections to be held on December 7 in the state.    Congress senior leader Marri Shashidhar Reddy said that he had submitted a memorandum to the Commission, seeking action for deletion of voters from the final list announced recently.

He has been fighting for the inclusion of the deleted voters' names in the list.  He alleged that the TRS played a role in the deletion of the voters' names.  TDP leader R Chandrashekhar Reddy and Gurumuthy brought to the notice of the Commission the alleged misuse of official machinery by the TRS leaders in the Assembly constituencies. The TDP leaders demanded that the commission keep a keen vigil on the ruling party leaders' political activities in the state.

BJP senior leader N Indrasena Reddy said that he brought to the notice of the Election Commission the increased number of bogus voters in many Assembly constituencies particularly in the AIMIM dominating segments in the Old City in Hyderabad. He also took strong exception to the denial of permission to conduct the Bathukamma festival in the old city and demanded the EC to take action against the government for indifference shown towards a particular community.

CPI and CPM leaders CH Venkat Reddy and N Narasimha Reddy, respectively, requested the Commission to ensure smooth and fair conduct of the elections. They wanted the Commission to rectify the alleged irregularities in the inclusion of new voters' names in the fresh list. 

TRS MP B Vinod urged Rawat to monitor TV advertisements released by the TDP and review whether they influence the voters in the poll-bound Telangana. He also requested the Commission to allow the government to continue the implementation of all welfare schemes meant for the poor and other sections in the election season also. 

AIMIM leader and MLC Jafri and BSP leaders Siddarth Pule also met the commission. Before winding up the official programmes on the first day of the visit, the Commission held a meeting with Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar and state police nodal officers. The Commission reviewed the law and order situation and the security measures taken in the identified sensitive areas in the state.