Reports already indicated that more than Rs 40 crores in cash, gold and silver ornaments,and nearly two lakh litres of liquor were seized by the authorities in raids in the constituencies going to polls. There is a strong feeling that the Election Commission and the authorities were not taking any action when huge amounts were seized during elections, and this has emboldened the candidates and the political parties to indulge in all sorts of irregularities and distribution of cash, liquor and other articles to the voters, thus totally undermining the democratic values.
With only two days left for campaigning in the by-elections to 18 Assembly and one Lok Sabha (Nellore) seats in
the State, the leaders of the three main political parties – the YSRCP,the Congress and the TDP — were sweating it out in the hot sun to ensure victory of their respective candidates. The leaders of these three parties have taken the by-elections as a prestige one, as a matter of ‘do or die’, and intensified their campaigning in the last few days. As a matter of fact, the by-elections are clearly an ‘acid test’ for the three parties.
The Parakala Assembly seat – the only one going to by-polls in the Telangana region — is presenting a piquant situation, with the candidates of the three parties, as also those of the TRS and BJP, taking it very seriously to test their voter-support. Both the TRS and the BJP were in support of separate Telangana State, while YSRCP
candidate Konda Surekha claims that she is also a staunch supporter of separate Telangana, though it is a known fact that she had resigned the seat expressing her solidarity with YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
It is an established fact that the Telangana sentiment is very strong in the Warangal district, in which the Parakala constituency is located. With the TRS and BJP fielding their candidates, it is to be seen as to
who will benefit through the Telangana vote, not only among the two, but among the three separatist supporters. Political circles, however, opine that there was no possibility of either the Congress or the TDP
winning the seat, as the Telangana sentiment is very strong here, and the people were aware that these two parties were opposed to separate State formation.
In regard to the seats in the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, there appears to be a fierce battle of ballot between the three parties.Barring the Tirupati Assembly seat, the by-elections in the other 16 Assembly segments and the one Lok Sabha seat were necessitated by the resignation of the sitting members to express their solidarity
with the YSRCP floated by the Kadapa MP and son of late Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy. The by-election to Tirupati seat was caused by the resignation of Chiranjeevi, who had merged his PRP with the Congress and who was subsequently elected to the Rajya Sabha.
The outcome of the by-elections would definitely have a bearing on the very survival of the YSRCP and the TDP on one hand, and the popularity of the Congress government in the State on the other. It is because of these factors that the leaders of the three parties were slugging it out, not caring the summer heat, to win the seats.
Reports already indicated that more than Rs 40 crores in cash, gold and silver ornaments,and nearly two lakh litres of liquor were seized by the authorities in raids in the constituencies going to polls. There is a strong feeling that the Election Commission and the authorities were not taking any action when huge amounts were seized during elections, and this has emboldened the candidates and the political parties to indulge in all sorts of irregularities and distribution of cash, liquor and other articles to the voters, thus totally undermining the democratic values.
Once huge amounts and other articles were seized, the cases should be handed over to the
CBI and other investigative agencies and the culprits responsible should be awarded deterrent
punishment, and this alone would help curb election malpractices, these circles feel. Whether
ceeded the amount seized during the 2009 general elections, and this indicates how the three parties were hell-bent on winning the elections by hook or crook and the magnitude of irregularities being committed by the three parties and their candidates. Observers feel that what was seized was only a tip of the ice-berg and Hundreds of Crores of Rupees were being dumped by the three parties to win the seats and keep up their bases.this would be done in the near future is to be seen. (NSS)