TDP, YSRCP trade charges over deletion of voters’ names

Tirupati: The deletion of voters in Chandragiri Assembly constituency turned into a major controversy with ruling and opposition accusing each other for the large number of fictitious objections received for deletion of votes from the electoral list.

YSRCP Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy alleged that the TDP in a systematic way submitted false claims seeking deletion of about 14,500 voters, who are YSRCP activists and sympathisers. Reddy said that the TDP workers posing as social activists took up survey seeking the people to whom they vote in the ensuing election. Based on the survey, efforts are on to delete the voters, who revealed that they will favour opposition YSRCP.

The YSRCP leader said he had represented with evidences to the District Collector and District Election Officer PS Pradyumna on the TDP leaders move to delete YSRCP supporters from the electoral list. He also alleged that police torturing the three YSRCP supporters, who were arrested by the police on false charges.

The three in Yerravaripalem mandal caught a person, who was surveying in a village and recording the details of the voters, who revealed the party they want to vote in the ensuing elections in the tablet that is accessible from Amaravati to get the details based on which he alleged that forms were submitted for deletion of voters causing panic in the constituency.

Reddy said that he spoke with Pradyumna on the large number Form 7 received for deletion of voters in Chandragiri constituency and sought him not to delete any genuine vote. He also released an audio recording which he alleged TDP leaders in a teleconference with party workers seeking them to try for removal of rival party sympathisers.

Interestingly, Chandragiri constituency TDP in-charge and the party nominee and who is also party district president Nani also complained against large number of applications received for removal of voters from the list. He also stated that based on false objections and claims, the names of TDP supporters and sympathisers were removed in many villages including Vedanthapuram, Avilala, Mangalam, Vemuru and in many other places.

He said he had submitted a representation to Tirupati Sub-Collector Mahesh Kumar, who is the Election Officer for Chandragiri constituency, on Tuesday against false claims submitted for removal of voters and also inclusion of outsiders as voters. Nani said that students, who are studying in the engineering colleges here and those living in Bengaluru and Chennai were also enrolled as voters.

Meanwhile, Pradyumna categorically stated that no voter was removed from the list so far as enquiry is still not completed on the claims received for removal of voters. Speaking to media here on Tuesday, the Collector said in all 35,027 claims for removal votes in Chittoor including the highest from Chandragiri 10,833, were received. While 1.05 lakh applications received for inclusion as voters.

He said before deletion of any voter enquiry will be done and every care is being taken to ensure genuine voters are not affected. He said the administration will complete the process for both enrolment of new voters and also deletion in ten days after the completion of the enquiry on the applications received.