VIJAYAWADA: In a dramatic development, on the eve of polling in Andhra Pradesh, TDP president and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday submitted a representation to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), deploring the unilateral conduct of the Election Commission, and staged a demonstration at the CEO’s office at the Interim Government Complex in Velagapudi.
In his representation, he questioned the recent decisions taken by the Election Commission such as the transfers of the chief secretary, the Intelligence DG and SPs of Srikakulam, Kadapa and Prakasam and accused the poll body of acting at the behest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the YSR Congress. Speaking to media persons, Naidu said it was for the first time that a chief minister had to come down to meet the CEO in view of the ‘condemnable’ behaviour of the Election Commission. “22 political parties met the CEC and demanded the reintroduction of ballot paper as they don’t have faith in EVMs. If there is no time for it, they wanted that at least 50 per cent of VVPATs to be counted. The commission refused to consider their request.
When we went to the Supreme Court, the EC claimed it will take six days to count 50 per cent VVPATs,” he recalled, adding that even the counting of ballot papers wouldn’t take 24 hours.
Accusing the commission of blatant misuse of power, he said the poll body had refused to give details of IP addresses of those accused in the deletion of votes case. “In Telangana, 24 lakh votes were deleted. After the elections, the CEO there simply said sorry. The EC has to answer for all these,” he said. In the same breath, he questioned how could the Election Commission transfer the Srikakulam collector even before the model code came into force. “This is clear-cut high-handedness. The intelligence DG was transferred. What is the IB doing, what is the NSA doing? Are they giving lists to conduct I-T raids on us?” he asked, referring to the recent I-T raids on Telugu Desam leaders.
He further sought to know what message was the election commission giving when it transferred the Kadapa SP. “YSRC leader YS Vivekananda Reddy was murdered. First, it was claimed it was a heart attack, evidence was erased. When the post-mortem report established it as murder, the SP investigating the case was transferred. The YSRC went to the EC and the courts,” he recalled and also added that the chief secretary too was transferred. On the I-T raids on TDP leaders, he asked why only TDP leaders were being raided. “Is it a level playing field? I-T raids were conducted on MP Galla Jayadev yesterday. Aren’t there anybody in YSR Congress? Gopi, assistant to BJP leader Lakshman withdrew Rs 8 crore and is rotating money. No action was taken because of Modi. They have has one rule, we have another. In Allagadda, notes were thrown at public by YSRC leaders. The party’s leaders Vijayasai Reddy, Anil Yadav, Sunitha Reddy’s leaked tapes are there. EC has become YSRC office,” he alleged.
He reiterated the allegation that KK Sharma, an election observer, was sent to AP after the Trinamool Congress objected to his presence in West Bengal. He wondered why no action was taken despite TDP complaints against him. “Yesterday, 65 retired IAS and IPS officers met the President and complained against the EC, demanding conduct of free and fair elections. But by evening, another SP is transferred here in AP,” he said. After staging the protest at the CEO’s office for 15 minutes, Naidu left for his residence.
Naidu shoots off letter to EC, CEO
Vijayawada: Alleging that the EC is taking undemocratic and arbitrary actions and transferring several officials in AP under the influence of the YSRC, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu shot off a letter to Chief Election Commissioner and also the CEO seeking them conduct the elections process impartially by ensuring a level playing field to all the contesting political parties.
No pressure on us, clarifies CEO
Vijayawada: Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi has clarified that the Election Commission is not taking any side and working impartially for the smooth conduct of elections. During an informal interaction with media after Chief Minister and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu submitted a memorandum to him objecting to the alleged high handedness of the Election Commission and transfer of officials unilaterally, Dwivedi said there was no pressure on them from any quarter. “I respect Naidu as he is a senior politician. However, I want to clarify that we are not favouring or targeting any political party, but are only implementing the directions of the Central Election Commission (CEC). The CEC, too, is giving instructions as per the guidelines,” he said.