HYDERABAD: The BJP State unit on Saturday demanded the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Telangana to disqualify Huzurnagar Assembly by-poll candidate of the TRS party S Saidi Reddy for allegedly misusing official machinery and violating the Model Code of Conduct.
A delegation led by BJP State vice-president S Malla Reddy lodged a complaint with the CEO asking him to disqualify the TRS candidate.
The delegation alleged that the ruling party ministers, MPs, MLAs and leaders deputed in Huzurnagar were allegedly terrorizing opposition party leaders and workers. The TRS is misusing the official machinery to win the by-poll, they added.
During Minister for Municipal Administration KT Rama Rao’s visit to Huzurnagar to campaign for the party candidate on October 4, he led a massive road-show along with Saidi Reddy using more than 1,000 vehicles with TRS flags and DJ sound systems. This was in violation of the Election Commission’s rules, they pointed out.
They alleged that EC expenditure authorities working in Huzurnagar constituency failed to capture the road-show on video so that they could ‘help out’ the ruling party. The expenditure incurred for organising the meeting exceeded more than `1 crore, crossing the limit of `28 lakh stipulated by the EC. Hence, the TRS candidate is liable to be disqualified under Section 77, Clause-1 of the Representation of People’s Act, 1951, they stated.