YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy expressed hope that Governor E S L Narasimhan would enquire into Chandrababu Naidu's government's atrocities.
Holding Chandrababu Naidu directly responsible for the "blatant murder of democracy" in the just concluded municipal and local body chairperson elections, YSR Congress Party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy today expressed hope that Governor E S L Narasimhan would enquire into the TDP government's atrocities that marked the election process, and take suitable action.
Speaking to media persons outside the Raj Bhavan after leading a party delegation to the Governor and submitting a memorandum on the issue, Jagan said Chandrababu's stoic silence on the perpetration of illegalities by his partymen confirmed that he was behind the pre-planned murder of democratic process during the elections.
"If he is not involved, why didn't he condemn the undemocratic incidents?" Jagan asked, adding that government machinery was used to orchestrate a majority for the TDP even in places where the YSR Congress had a clear majority.
Even district Collectors and SPs went out of their way and obeyed the illegal orders of their political boss Chandrababu Naidu by remaining mute spectators to the spectacle of kidnapping, poaching, intimidating and baiting of YSRCP councillors, and MPTC and ZPTC members, Jagan alleged.
"If you want to gain control of the municipal and local bodies in the most illegal way you did, why did you conduct elections at all? That could have been done through nominations as well," Jagan asked Naidu.
Jagan claimed that municipal councillors and local body members who were elected on party tickets were subjected to undue influences in an unprecedented manner to eliminate opposition in the State.
"The TDP has resorted to these illegalities to divert the people's attention from its total failure to implement its poll promises. But the real opposition to its government are the people, and they will take the rulers to task by holding their collars one day for their failures," he stated.
The YSRCP chief said that though the YSRCP had a majority in four ZPPs, it could win only Kadapa because of the unfair means adopted by the TDP.
"TDP forced postponement of the elections to the Nellore and Prakasam ZPP chairpersons despite a quorum exisiting in both cases. We had a majority in 239 mandals but won only 200. In the municipalities, we should have won 36 but won only 19 - all because of the TDP's atrocities," he said, wondering if there was democracy in the State at all. "Naidu is openly encouraging TDP workers to attack the YSRCP cadre."
Saying that people are living in the grip of fear following the TDP's illegalities in the local body chairperson elections, Jagan said the only achievement of the TDP after coming to power was the killing of 17 YSRCP activists and injuring 110 others.
"50% of the victims of TDP violence are SCs and women," he said, adding that the police were refusing to register cases against TDP leaders and workers, and even if cases were registered in some cases, were taking no action.
"By-elections will take place to the Allagadda and Nandigama assembly constituencies soon, and to the Nandyala parliamentary constituency too after the disqualification of S P Y Reddy. I doubt the government's willingness to conduct these elections in a peaceful manner," he said, and added, "We will soon meet the PM, President and Union Home Minister too to complain against the TDP's illegalities." (INN)