VIJAYAWADA: YSRCP chief and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has alleged that the recent ZPTC byelections in Pulivendula and Vontimitta were marred by the highhandedness of the ruling TDP and police, which he described as an anarchical policy of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu. Jagan has demanded that the State Election Commission conduct fresh elections in a free and fair manner under the supervision of Central forces.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Jagan expressed his serious concern that the police acted in favour of TDP leaders and prevented voters from casting their votes in the bypolls. He alleged that Naidu made the ZPTC bypolls a mockery of democracy, and said the byelections were held in an undemocratic manner, with all YSRCP agents being driven away along with voters whose forms and slips were snatched and torn away.
“I challenge Naidu to call for fresh elections with Central forces security if he is sure that his work over the past year was fruitful, and accepted by the public,” Jagan said.
“Naidu has set a very bad precedent, which is dangerous to democracy, and the spirit of elections is lost by such nefarious deeds as they were held under the cover and shield of police, and outsiders taking over the booths, and resorting to large-scale rigging. This tradition will become a threat to democracy, and the election process,” Jagan said, describing the election as the most atrocious.
“Police behaved like TDP agents with their one-sided bias by allowing TDP ministers, MLAs, and cadre from anywhere to roam freely while obstructing genuine voters on the pretext that they are with the YSRCP,” Jagan charged.
“Fear of loss, for about 10,600 votes in 15 booths, around 700 police were deployed not to ensure peaceful elections but to terrorise voters,” he said.
When asked whether the YSRCP would join the ongoing campaign led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi against the anomalies in the 2024 elections, Jagan refused to tie up with the Congress, and said the YSRCP will fight against the Election Commission over poll malpractices. He further criticised Rahul for not speaking about Andhra Pradesh, where there is a difference of 12.5% of votes between the polling and the results, and alleged that Naidu and Rahul Gandhi were on hotline through Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy.