TSIT ■ Hyderabad
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) on Friday requested Election Commission of India (ECI), Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Rajeev Kumar to depute a team of senior officials to enquire in detail about these irregularities committed during Munugode by-election and also to find out the lapses and to take stern action against the persons responsible. In a letter, addressed to ECI, CEC, a copy of which was released to the media here, TPCC Senior Vice President G Niranjan said that the Munugode bye-elections was termed as one of the costliest elections in the country. The money and liquor were literally poured in a storm.
The media also reported the influence of money and liquor in this election and how the ruling parties offered the sops to the voters. All above malpractices and violations were reported in almost all newspapers and national channels with photos and visuals.This is the time for the Election Commission to introspect itself for its failures in containing this menace and in conducting free and fair polls. This is nothing but a mockery of democracy and the election process. It is clearly noticed that the election machinery acted in accordance with the directions of the ruling party at the center and the ruling party in the state.Right from the beginning of the elections this fraudulent approach has been witnessed. The Returning Officer and Assistant Returning Officers were removed and suspended as they obliged under the pressure for changing the election symbol of one of the candidates after its allotment and also for printing the symbol of one of the candidates differently.
Even after the suspensions of these Officers there is no change in the functioning of the officials involved in conducting the election process. All the state ministers were active in this election campaign with their henchmen and organized caste wise meetings in adjacent areas by bringing the people from the constituency and promises were made to them.
One of the Ministers Ch Mallareddy, Minister for Labour & Employment is owning some of the Educational institutions and hostels in Hyderabad and surrounding areas. He was in-charge for some of the polling stations on behalf of the TRS party. He camped in those villages and he himself served liquor which was published in the local newspapers. He promised the voters that if a majority comes in those villages for which he is in-charge that he will provide free treatment to the villagers in his hospitals and give priority in admissions in his colleges.
Even the postal ballot votes were purchased by the ruling parties for Rs 10000 to 15000 for each vote. For the first time the Election Commission machinery failed to send out all the outsiders from the constituency after the expiry of campaign period– 48 hours before the ending of polling time. “We request your good-self to depute a team of senior officials to enquire in detail about these irregularities committed during this election and also to find out the lapses and to take stern action against the persons responsible”, Niranjan said in his letter.
