The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) today lodged a complaint with Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal to initiate immediate action against YSR Congress Party, TRS and a private Telugu satellite news channel ‘TV 9’ for allegedly committing electoral malpractices by ‘telecasting paid news in the form of opinion poll on the channel last night and this morning. A letter to this effect was handed over to Mr Bhanwarlal by TDP State Vice-President E Peddi Reddy here this evening.
The telecast of opinion polls clearly showed violaton of the provisions of RP Act 1951, the Cable Television Network (Regulation) Act 1995 and instructions of the ECI dated June 8, 2010, September 23, 2010, March 18, 2011 and August 10, 2011 on the paid news, he claimed. The TDP highlighted in the letter that the said opinion poll was bogus and arranged by YSR Congress Party and the TRS Party for political mileage in the ensuing bye-elections and deprive the chances of its opponents.
The said a ‘bogus survey’ was telecast with the false and incorrect figures, propagating winning chances of the said parties thereby influencing the voters in the seven assembly constituencies in which the by-elections are to be held. The party said the intention of the survey was politically motivated in order to get political gains for the candidates of the YSR Congress and TRS and unduly influence the voters in the constituencies. UNI