The State election authority, the Chief Electoral Officer’s office, has identified 1,636 news items in different newspapers and channels as suspected “paid news” till Thursday.
The Nizamabad Lok Sabha constituency topped the list with as many as 255 suspected paid news cases.
The development assumes significance as the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi is betting big on its candidate K. Kavitha, daughter of TRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, retaining the seat while the Congress is confident of putting up a good show with its candidate and two-time MP Madhu Yaskhi Goud in the fray.
Following Nizamabad closely is Hyderabad, which accounted for 193 suspected paid news cases.
Hyderabad district, which has parts of at least four constituencies under its jurisdiction, has been declared “expenditure-sensitive” by the election authorities. High incidence of suspected paid news is also reported from Mahabubnagar (120), Vikarabad (113), Khammam (112) and Rajanna Sircilla (101) districts.
Khammam district, which reported 120 suspected paid news cases, is another important constituency for the TRS, which nominated Nama Nageswara Rao, who switched loyalties from the TDP recently, against Congress heavyweight and former MP Renuka Chowdary. Another important Lok Sabha seat which reported a significant number of 93 suspected paid news cases is Malkajgiri where the Congress has fielded TPCC working president A. Revanth Reddy against Marri Rajasekhar Reddy, son-in-law of Minister in the State Cabinet Ch. Malla Reddy. Senior BJP leader N. Ramachander Rao is also in the fray from this constituency.
Vikarabad district, in particular, houses Tandur, Vikarabad and Pargi Assembly segments forming part of the Chevella Lok Sabha constituency, which also has four Assembly segments — Chevella, Serilingampalli, Maheshwaram and Rajendranagar — of neighbouring Ranga Reddy district.
Election in Chevella has turned prestigious on account of the Congress fielding Konda Vishweshwar Reddy, former TRS MP, who defected to the Congress ahead of the December Assembly election.
Officials in the CEO’s office said the election authority was closely examining these suspected paid news cases.
Once proved, the expenditure incurred on these news items would be included in the election expenditure of the candidates concerned.
Meanwhile, the election authority roped in Object One, a private agency with expertise in social media issues, for monitoring expenditure incurred by candidates for campaign through social media.
“We have made it mandatory for the candidates to specify their social media accounts in the Form 26 filed along with the nomination forms so that publicity through this mode is also accounted for,” a senior official told The Hindu .
