Dharna By All Opposition Parties Over EC "Failures"

The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee today organized an all-opposition party dharna at Dharna Chowk near Indira Park to highlight the "failures" of the Election Commission in conducting the recent Assembly elections.

TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy, CLP leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, former TPCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah, MP Nandi Yellaiah, Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS) President M Kodandaram, CPI Telangana secretary Chada Venkat Reddy and others took part in the program.

Speaking on the occasion, Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged that there were lots of differences between the votes polled and the votes counted in the state. However, when his party urged the EC to count the VVPATs, the Commission didn't heed to their demand.

"In Rajasthan and Chattisgarh the VVPATs were also counted. But in Telangana the officials didn't do so," he said. He demanded that the Election Commission count the VVPATs in all the seats where the winning margin was less than 10,000 votes.

Reddy also said that the Election Commission had also gone ahead with the elections without making changes to the voters' list. All of these had resulted in the EC failing to hold free and fair elections in the State. In fact, all democratic institutions had gotten diluted in the State, he alleged. He also alleged that Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar didn't keep his promise made to the High Court.

Reddy demanded that the EC hold all upcoming elections on ballot papers both in the State and across the country.