Hyderabad, April 22: The YSR Congress Party has complained to the Election Commission (EC) seeking action against the Kiran Kumar Reddy Government for “violating the model code of conduct and misusing power” to induce voters in the May 8 by-election.
YSR Congress Party vice-president K. Shiva Kumar, in a memorandum to the EC on Thursday, claimed that the electronic and print media, supporting the Congress and TDP candidates in the Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies, were deliberately publishing and telecasting baseless stories and news items against the YSR Congress and maligning Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy.
False cases
Similarly, the police were filing false cases against YSR Congress cadres and so far about 9,000 such cases had been filed. The cases were filed to terrorise the cadres and this was being done at the behest of Cabinet Ministers stationed in Kadapa and also a few police officers.
Even the Congress candidate for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, Health Minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy, had made a derogatory remark and personal attack against Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, in violation of election laws.
The party, which urged the EC to immediately act against the Congress government and its Ministers and restrain the media from continuing its smear campaign against Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy, wanted the poll panel to ensure that the by-poll was held in a free and fair manner with a level-playing field for all the contestants.
–Agencies