VIJAYAWADA: TDP supremo and leader of opposition N Chandrababu Naidu has accused ruling party leaders of resorting to poll-related offences in collusion with some police officers in the election to Mittapalli panchayat in Chittoor district. Complaining the same in a letter to the State Election Commissioner on Saturday, Naidu demanded strict action against those responsible for the alleged election irregularities in the panchayat under Kuppam mandal. Two false cases were filed against TDP supporters in order to sabotage the election process and benefit the ruling party, he charged.
In the letter, the TDP chief alleged the police booked false cases under sections 448, 323 and 506 of the IPC against one Manjunath and Manohar. “Charges of criminal intimidation were made only to harass them,” he said. Manjunath is the husband of TDP-supported candidate Sivalakshmi.
Naidu deplored that the YSRC leaders were forcing the police to file false cases to create fear among the Opposition candidates and their supporters. Though the YSRC-backed candidates, Anjali and Kalavathi, withdrew their nominations for various reasons, the local police are still demoralising other contestants, he remarked. The TDP chief urged the Election Commission of India to interfere and take action against the guilty police officers.
Meanwhile, TDP politburo member Varla Ramaiah and former MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao urged the SEC to strictly implement an interim order of the AP High Court and conduct peaceful panchayat elections without coerced unanimous polls. They met the SEC on Saturday and handed over a representation.