Accusing the YSR Congress Party of resorting to ‘poll excesses’, the TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday urged the State Election Commission (SEC) to look into the ‘anomalies’ in the counting of votes polled in the ZPTC and MPTC elections.
In a statement, Mr. Naidu said the TDP nominee Pogiri Buchibabu had won over the YSRCP candidate Sravan, son of MLA Reddy Santi, by a majority of 59 votes in the Hiramandalam ZPTC in Pathipatnam Assembly constituency of Srikakulam district. But the polling officials permitted re-counting under the pressure of the ruling party leaders even after the TDP candidate was declared the winner, in violation of election guidelines, he alleged.
Mr. Naidu said this incident proved that the election officials worked in favour of the ruling party candidates and added that the party would take the issue to the court.
Citing another example, he said the TDP candidate Nageswara Reddy for Juturu MPTC in Anantapur district had won the election by polling four votes more than his YSRCP contender. The ruling party demanded recounting and the result was the same. “But the officials colluded with the YSRCP leaders and declared their party candidate as winner by one vote over the TDP nominee,” he said.
He demanded that the State Election Commission should take cognisance of such ‘gross violations’ and rectify the ‘anomalies’ by declaring the TDP candidates as winners in the Hiramandalam ZPTC and Juturu MPTC.
