Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State unit president K. Laxman has accused Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and his son K.T. Rama Rao of making a mockery of democracy by resorting to “unethical and undemocratic” means to grab the posts of municipal corporation mayors and deputy mayors and municipal chairpersons and vice-chairpersons.
The ruling party leaders had adopted undemocratic and unconstitutional methods to win the elections to the posts of civic bodies’ chiefs even where BJP had secured majority seats (wards), he said while addressing a press conference here on Tuesday. Terming Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao and Mr. Rama Rao as “political opportunists”, the BJP leader alleged that TRS had indulged in all sorts of undemocratic means including violation of elections norms, distribution of money to lure voters and misuse of official machinery.
The BJP had not only fought elections politically against TRS, Congress and MIM, but also faced irregularities of the Opposition parties, particularly of the TRS. Stating that performance of BJP in the municipal elections was very encouraging, Mr. Laxman said the party could increase its seat tally and vote percentage across the State. He thanked people for supporting BJP candidates in spite of all kinds of tactics employed by TRS.
Backdoor win
Referring to Nizamabad Municipal Corporation elections, he said the ruling TRS had bagged the mayor post with the support of MIM although BJP was the largest single party by winning 28 out of 60 seats (wards). Similarly, TRS stood third by winning five out of 15 seats in Tukkuguda municipality but grabbed the chairperson’s post through backdoor, though BJP won 9 seats, Mr. Laxman pointed out.
Citing another example of the irregularities committed by the TRS, the BJP leader stated that till the end of elections process Rajya Sabha member K. Keshava Rao’s name as an ex-officio member was listed in Badangpet municipality, but in the last minutes the officials, under the pressure from the ruling party, allotted him to to Tukkuguda. He sought to know, how Mr. Keshava Rao allotted to Andhra Pradesh during bifurcation of combined Andhra Pradesh vote as an ex-officio member in Telangana.
“We have already lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission in the matter and the party would also lodge a complaint with the President and Raya Sabha Chairman,” Mr. Laxman stated.
