ONGOLE: The nomination papers of two persons from Prakasam district, who planned to contest the elections from Varanasi, from where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking election, have been rejected upon scrutiny by the returning officer. Vadde Srinivasulu and Ravi Kiran Sarma, who hail from Botlagudur village near Pamuru, said that they were perplexed by the decision.
Speaking to TNIE on Friday, Ravi Kiran said that he was moved by the plight of the people due to recurring drought. “The people have been openly admitting their inability to offer even paltry sum for the rituals I perform at their home,” he said.
He said that he and Srinivasulu reached Varanasi on April 21 and opened bank accounts in a local branch of the SBI, after depositing Rs 25,000 each, as per the directions of election officials. “We completed the laborious process with all seriousness by engaging a lawyer, getting 10 persons in the electoral rolls to propose our names,” they said. “However, no reason has been cited for rejecting our nomination papers,” Srinivasulu said.
“Whichever party comes to power at the Centre, it should provide liberal Central assistance to the Veligonda project, which is in the final stages of completion, and ensure a permanent solution to the water problem,” he stated. The duo said that BJP leaders Kanna Lakshminarayana and Daggubati Purandeswari promised to resolve the problem after the NDA forms government at the Centre.