Congress Working Committee member Chinta Mohan on Monday alleged that the ruling YSR Congress Party had won the urban local body elections in the State by resorting to ‘gross misuse of official machinery’.
“I have never in my long political career seen such an undemocratic election as was witnessed during the elections to municipal corporations, municipalties and nagar panchayats now,” he told reporters at Muthukur in Sarvelli Assembly segment of Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency in Nellore district.
“The large number of unanimous wins in favour of the ruling party were achieved by forcing opposition party candidates to withdraw their nominations by threatening to foist cases on them by misusing the police,” the former Union Minister alleged.
“The ruling party did not stop with that. In the divisions and wards where contests became inevitable, they directly threatened the voters that benefits of welfare schemes like Amma Vodi, old age pension etc. would be abruptly stopped if they did not vote for the ruling party,” he alleged.
The State Election Commission, which was active in the beginning, had failed to ensure a level-playing field to the opposition parties, he charged.
Dr. Chinta Mohan, who canvassed in Muthukur and Manabolu for the Tirupati Lok Sabha byelection, evoked a “good response” from people in Dalit colonies. They recalled the benefits of welfare schemes they got under late Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
