Alleging misuse of power and adoption of “illegal and unethical” means by the ruling party to win the municipal polls, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy said the results could not be called as people’s mandate.
At a press conference here, he said the process of elections right from issuing notification to election of chairpersons was nothing but an insult to Telangana society. He alleged that TRS working president K. T. Rama Rao was directly controlling the officials in the election process.
He also alleged that State Election Commissioner (SEC) Nagi Reddy and Director Municipal Administration T. Sreedevi also functioned under the influence of KTR.
Giving the example Nereducherla Municipality in Suryapet district, he said the election was postponed on trivial reasons and officials were unavailable for the whole day. Congress had 8 seats while TRS had only 7 seats, and yet they got TRS candidate elected as the chairperson. Officials changed the voters list to include the name of TRS MLC Seri Shubash Reddy on January 28 when the deadline for nomination was January 25 itself.
The officials also created problems for Rajya Sabha MP from Telangana KVP Ramachandra Rao removing his name from the list only to add it after Congress strongly protested.
Mr. Ramchandra Rao, who was present at the press conference, said he was allotted to Telangana after State bifurcation and moreover, he was a voter in Hyderabad since 1980. “How can they deny my vote when the Rajya Sabha itself clarified that I represent Telangana.” He also furnished the Rajya Sabha document showing him as representing Telangana.
Mr. Uttam Kumar Reddy said Nereducherla municipal election symbolises the manner in which municipal elections were held in Telangana. He said instead of mocking the election process, TRS party should have prepared the lists of municipalities at KCR’s farm house and announced its victory.
Congress MLC T. Jeevan Reddy also questioned as to how TRS Member of Parliament K. Keshav Rao was allowed to vote in Tukkuguda when he represented Andhra Pradesh in Parliament. If he was allowed on the ground that he resides in Hyderabad how come Congress MP K.M. Khan, was disallowed when he enrolled as ex-officio member from Narayankhed municipality. Mr. Khan, who is a resident of Hyderabad, too was allotted Andhra Pradesh after bifurcation just like Mr. Keshav Rao, he pointed out.
