Elections: Curb Cash Flow, CEO Urged

Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal briefed the political parties at the state Secretariat on Friday about the rules and regulations to be followed on the eve of the by-elections scheduled to be held on May 8, in Kadapa for the Lok Sabha seat and in Pulivendula for the Assembly seat.

Representatives from the Congress, TDP and PRP met the CEO here and urged him to take steps for conducting free and fair elections.

Later, they spoke to the media persons. Congress leader, former MLC and Kadapa in-charge of the party Shaik Hussain, accompanied by the party leader from Karimnagar district Kamalakar, said that it was imperative to control the copious flow of illegal funds, and insisted on establishing check-posts on the borders to prevent the entry of money bags.

In reply, the CEO is believed to have asked them to give a written representation in this regard. The Congress, which is firm on curbing the illegal wealth gushing into the Kadapa district, was prepared to submit a letter as suggested by the CEO.

Congress leaders also demanded that the picture of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on the YSR Congress Party flag be removed as he was a Congress leader and had led the party's government.

Recalling the then Election Commissioner's objection to the display of Rajiv Gandhi's portrait on the Congress party flag by YSR during the general elections, Kamalakar said that they had demanded the removal of YSR's image from the flag of the party launched by Jaganmohan Reddy, on the same lines.

Fielding a question on the name of the party - YSR Congress Party - they clarified that YSR could mean anything but the picture on the flag could send indications that the Jaganmohan Reddy's party was part of the Congress.

They also took exception to "Congress" being a part of the YSR Congress Party.

TDP leader and Rajya Sabha MP M V Mysoora Reddy asserted that he was not in the election fray and added that his party would decide the candidate to be fielded in the by-elections. The TDP is yet to name its candidates for the two seats.

Reddy specifically asked the CEO to ensure that the "jumbling" system in the distribution of the electronic voting machines was in place to avoid any proxy voting.

Display of voter identity cards and appointment of agents was part of their demands. Locals being appointed as polling agents was insisted upon as there was scope for bringing "outsiders" to the district which may create a law and order problem.

In this connection, Reddy also requested CEO Bhanwarl Lal to ensure maintenance of peace strictly, and recalled the services of former top cop A K Mohanty who controlled the situation with an iron hand.

PRP General Secretary Uma Malleswara Rao said that his party was not fielding its candidate as a merger with the Congress was on the cards. (INN)