HYDERABAD: Accusing the BJP-led Union government of stealing votes in non-BJP-ruled states through the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy alleged that the saffron party was bent upon doing the same in Telangana too in a desperate bid to come to power in the state.
Addressing a meeting of local Congress leaders and workers in Kodangal Assembly constituency on Saturday, Revanth alleged that the BJP was attempting to win the next Assembly elections in Telangana by deleting the votes of Congress supporters. “The BJP had adopted the same tactic in Maharashtra, Bihar and West Bengal,” he charged.
Revanth accused the BJP of targeting SC, ST and minority voters during the SIR. “We will not sit idly by and are ready to counter the BJP’s move to delete the names of Congress supporters. The party workers will not tolerate any such attempt,” he said.
The chief minister alleged that the BJP had earlier used the ED and CBI against political rivals and was now resorting to the deletion of votes. He objected to votes being deleted over minor discrepancies and anomalies and alleged that the BRS was supporting the BJP in the exercise.
Revanth said protecting the right to vote was the responsibility of Congress leaders and workers. He asked Booth-Level Agents (BLAs) to coordinate at the village level to ensure that votes were not deleted and directed mandal-level leaders to monitor the process.
The chief minister asked each Congress leader to take responsibility for four villages and ensure that not a single vote was deleted from any booth. He urged party workers to remain vigilant against what he termed the BJP-BRS conspiracy.
Revanth also said Kodangal had gained national recognition because of the support extended to him by the people of the constituency.
