TRS, Kavitha Cheating To Win MLC Election: Congress

The Congress on Friday demanded that the Election Commission take stern action against certain TRS leaders, including the ruling party's MLC candidate K Kavitha, for their alleged involvement in horse trading involving MPTCs, ZPTCs, Municipal Councillors and Corporators, to win the Nizamabad Local Bodies MLC seat.

"The ruling TRS is brazenly indulging in violation of the Model Code of Conduct for the upcoming Nizamabad MLC seat elections (local bodies) as the contesting candidate from the TRS is Kavitha Kalvakuntla, the daughter of the Chief Minister of Telangana. The TRS wants to win this election by hook or crook, and has hence resorted to violating the code of conduct," TPCC Working President & Malkajgiri MP A Revanth Reddy, former minister & ex-Leader Of Opposition in the Legislative Council Mohammed Ali Shabbir, Congress candidate V Subhash Reddy and Ramareddy ZPTC N Mohan Reddy alleged in a complaint lodged before Chief Electoral Officer Dr Shashank Goel at the latter's office on Friday.

Speaking to media persons later, Shabbir Ali said that some TRS ministers including Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Member of Parliament B B Patil, Government Whip G Govardhan, and MLAs from Nizamabad and Kamareddy districts had been openly violating the Model Code of Conduct without fear of the election authorities.

"TRS leaders are indulging in horse trading of MPTCs, ZPTCs, Municipal Councillors & Corporators belonging to opposition parties. Since the TRS does not have sufficient numbers to win the elections, they are threatening or luring the elected representatives of other parties to join the party to ensure Kavitha's victory. Their actions are a real threat to democracy. This must be stopped immediately if we wish to protect our democracy and constitution," he said.

He added that the Congress leaders had submitted the complete list of MPTCs, ZPTCs, Municipal Councillors & Corporators who were made to defect to the TRS forcibly.

He said that the behaviour of the TRS clearly showed that the MLC elections were not free and fair in any manner, and that the CEO had therefore been urged to take immediate action under the relevant laws and rules to stop the horse trading and contain the politics of luring and intimidation.

The Congress leader said that the party had submitted to the CEO evidence clearly showing that the TRS had "polluted" the entire electoral system, and that it could be cleaned only if the Election Commission took stern action against those who were violating the Model Code of Conduct and laws to win elections.

Shabbir Ali said that the CEO had been asked to disqualify the elected representatives who had defected to the TRS, with immediate effect.

The CEO had reportedly assured the Congress leaders that he would direct the Nizamabad District Collector, who is also the Returning Officer, to submit a report in this regard at the earliest, and that he would take action based on his finding.