TRS luring voters in MLC polls with huge cash, alleges Uttam Kumar Reddy

Hyderabad: Led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President & MP N Uttam Kumar Reddy, a delegation of Congress party met Chief Electoral Officer Shashank Goel at the latter's office on Saturday urging him to take action against the ruling TRS party for violating Model Code of Conduct in the MLC elections.

Speaking to media persons after meeting the CEO, Reddy, along with ex-MLA Marri Sashshidhar Reddy, Hyderabad City Congress president Anjan Kumar Yadav and other leaders, alleged that the TRS leaders have indulged in various electoral malpractices and irregularities to lure voters in the MLC elections. He said the ruling party distributed crores of rupees in cash among voters. He also alleged that private school buses were being forcibly taken to transport voters.

Uttam said that the CEO has been briefed about how the TRS was trying to engage fake voters (those without degrees) to cast their vote and demanding that such practices be prevented. He said that the ruling party was also misusing the postal ballots, meant for police personnel on duty, to cast votes in favour of TRS candidates. The TPCC chief said that the TRS party has published full page advertisements in all newspapers. He said that the Election Commission should find out the source of funding for those advertisements and take appropriate action.

Reddy strongly objected to the use of a picture of former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao by the TRS. He said Narasimha Rao was a Congress leader throughout his life and headed Congress governments as the Chief Minister and later as Prime Minister. Therefore, it was immoral, unethical and illegal for the TRS to seek votes by showing a picture of a Congress leader. He said Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao used abusive language against Narasimha Rao when he was alive. Now after his death, CM KCR is shamelessly using his picture to win an election, he said.

The TPCC chief said that the Chief Electoral Officer has assured to enquire into the issues raised by the Congress party.