HYDERABAD: Accusing the State Election Commission and the Police department of ‘utterly’ failing to discharge their duties during the Munugode byelection campaign, BJP State president Bandi Sanjay on Wednesday warned that he may not be left with much choice but to go to Munugode himself and also tell his party to head to the constituency if TRS leaders and their followers are not immediately evicted from the segment.
Sanjay met Pratap Reddy, a BJP worker who was injured in a stone-pelting incident three days ago during the election campaign in Munugode constituency, and BJP worker Ramesh Yadav, who met with an accident while travelling to Munugode for campaigning. They are receiving treatment in hospitals in Hyderabad.
Speaking to the media later, he alleged that polling officials and the police were acting at the behest of the State government and that TRS workers were getting drunk and attacking BJP workers with stones and sticks with impunity.
‘TRS attacked convoys’
He alleged that TRS workers tried to attack not only his convoy, but also the convoys of Union Minister G Kishan Reddy, BJP MLA Eatala Rajender and party candidate Komatireddy Rajagopal Reddy during the campaign.
“During an election campaign there will be common people among the crowd who were put at grave risk due to the acts of these TRS goons. Without even worrying about the lives of the people, they have been attacking us. Is this necessary just to win a byelection?” he asked.“If those who are going to lose resort to such acts, how would it look like if a winning party with the support of those who elected its candidate, resort to the same attacks?” he asked.
Complaint to CEO
Elsewhere, BJP leaders lodged a complaint with the Chief Electoral Officer, seeking action against TRS MLC Palla Rajeshwar Reddy and his henchmen for allegedly attacking MLA Etala Rajender and his wife at Palivela village during an election rally on Tuesday.
They told the CEO that TRS Ministers, MLAs and their henchmen were still active in Munugode constituency, despite the campaign ending on November 1. The BJP leaders also alleged that the TRS was planning to disrupt the election process by creating fear among the voters there.