YSRCP Team Meets EC, Demands More Central Forces For Safety Of Strong Rooms

New Delhi: Senior YSRCP leader and Rajya Sabha member V. Vijayasai Reddy informed media persons that the party delegation had apprised the Election Commission of the prevailing situation in Andhra Pradesh. The YSRCP team had described the attitude of Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu to the Commission, he stated in a brief interaction with the media after their meetings with the Election Commissioners.

Vijayasai Reddy said that the party delegation flagged the issue of the safety of EVMs in strong rooms supposedly protected by CRPF. The YSRCP leader pointed that on 12th night in Krishna University of Machilipatnam constituency certain authorities entered the strong rooms and took away the EVMs. When asked, the Collector said that EVMs kept in 'reserve' were taken away.

Vijayasai Reddy told pressmen that the YSRCP delegation briefed the Election Commission on the law and order in Guntur, Anatapur, Nellore and Chittoor districts, among other places. The YSRCP leader pointed out that they informed the Commission about the case of the Speaker, Kodela Sivaprasada Rao who locked himself inside a polling booth for one and a half hours. He tore his own shirt and created a tense situation provoking villagers. This was the style of functioning of TDP leaders from the top leadership downwards.

The local police, instead of registering a case against the Speaker and his men, booked cases against YSRCP workers, he said. The YSRCP leaders requested the full commission to inquire into this and several other such incidents in the state.

Vijayasai Reddy said that the YSRCP delegation also asked the Election Commission to increase the central forces especially near the strong rooms to prevent untoward incidents from taking place. They also appealed to the Commission to give an opportunity to Asha workers and RTC workers to cast their postal ballot.

Chandrababu Naidu's statements were self-contradictory, Vijaysai Reddy said. On the one had, he bragged about TDP getting 130 seats and on the other, he said 30% of the EVMs were defective suggesting that

one crore plus voters had not voted. The TDP chief's statements were full of contradictions and borne out of fear of defeat.

On April 11, Chandrababu showed his finger to demonstrate that he had voted, but did not complain about VVPAT slip. Two days later he alone realised that his vote had been cast to some other party. This is after his own intelligence told him TDP was facing defeat.

As regards the TDP's expert on EVMs, Hariprasad, Vijayasai Reddy pointed out that the TDP's 'expert' was involved in an EVM theft. He added that no constitutional body or party would entertain a person who was involved in such a crime and had gone to jail, except TDP, which Vijayasai Reddy described as Telugu Dongala Party.

The YSRCP delegation comprised C. Ramachandriah, Botsa Satyarayana, Butta Renuka and others.

Also Read: YSRCP MP Thota Narasimham Faults Chandrababu Over EVM Issues