Hyderabad: The Congress party on Friday demanded that the Election Commission take stern action against TRS leaders, including ruling party’s candidate K. Kavitha, for their alleged involvement in horse-trading of MPTCs, ZPTCs, Municipal Councillors and Corporators, to win the MLC elections from Nizambabad Local Bodies.
“Ruling TRS Party is brazenly indulging in violation of Code of Conduct in the ongoing Nizamabad MLC Elections (Local Bodies) as the contesting candidate from TRS is Kavitha Kalvakuntla, daughter of present Chief Minister of Telangana.
Therefore, they hatched a conspiracy to win these elections by hook or crook and hence resorted to illegal means of violating the code of conduct,” TPCC Working President & Malkajgiri MP A. Revanth Reddy, former minister & ex-Leader of Opposition in Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Congress candidate V. Subhash Reddy and Ramareddy ZPTC N. Mohan Reddy alleged in their complaint lodged before Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Shashank Goel at his office here on Friday.
Speaking to media persons later, Shabbir Ali said that TRS Ministers, especially Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Member of Parliament BB Patil, Govt Whip G. Govardhan and other MLAs from Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts have been openly violating the Model of Code of Conduct without fear from the election authorities.
“TRS leaders are indulging in horse-trading of MPTCs, ZPTCs, Municipal Councillors & Corporators, belonging to all opposition parties. Since TRS does not have sufficient numbers to win the elections, they are threatening or luring the elected representatives of other parties to join TRS to ensure Kavitha’s victory. Their actions are a real threat to democracy. This must be stopped immediately if we wish to protect our democracy and constitution,” he said.
Shabbir Ali informed that the Congress leaders submitted the complete list of MPTCs, ZPTCs, Municipal Councilors & Corporators who were forcibly defected to TRS. He said the behavior of ruling TRS clearly shows that the MLC elections were not free and fair in any manner. Therefore, he said that the CEO has been urged to take immediate action under relevant laws and rules to stop horse-trading and contain the politics of luring or intimidation.
The Congress leader said that they had submitted the evidences to the CEO which clearly shows that ruling TRS has polluted the entire electoral system and it could be cleaned only if the Election Commission takes stern action against those who are violating the Model Code of Conduct and laws just to win elections.
Shabbir Ali said that the CEO has been asked to disqualify the elected representatives who defected to TRS with immediate effect.
The CEO has assured that he would direct the Nizamabad District Collector, who is also the Returning Officer, to submit a report in this regard at the earliest and would take action based on his finding.