Hyderabad: The Congress and the BJP-TD combine accused the government of blatant misuse of power during the campaign for the November 21 Warangal Lok Sabha bypolls.
While Opposition leaders filed petitions with Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal and the Election Commission, TRS leaders including party candidate Pasanuri Dayakar refuted the charge and alleged it was the Opposition that was indulging in corrupt practices.
Telangana Telugu Desam working president A. Revanth Reddy, who filed a complaint with the Election Commission, alleged that the state government was misusing official machinery and using media owned by party leaders in favour of Mr Dayakar.
“Several favourable stories are being planted in media owned by ruling party members which are nothing but paid news. A candidate can spend Rs 70 lakh during an election to the Lok Sabha, but the value of the favourable news planted in media owned by TRS is worth Rs 6 crore,” he alleged.
He said Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had taken some decisions which influence the voters but no action was taken, and demanded the TRS candidate be disqualified.
He alleged that Mr Rao and YSRC president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had forged an understanding, which led to the YSRC putting up a candidate.
To this, YSRC legislator R.K. Roja hit back saying, “TD leaders are colluding with TRS to save their skin in the cash-for-vote scam.”
A Congress delegation comprising spokespersons G. Niranjan, Kamalakar Rao and Shyam Mohan met Mr Bhanwarlal and lodged a complaint accusing the government of launching schemes and taking certain decisions including age relaxation for police recruitment and promising to provide clothes to poor Christians and hosting dinner for them for Christmas, extension of the Kalyana Laxmi scheme to BCs, appointment of Vice Chancellors, waiver of Rs 7 crore mess charges at OU in a bid to influence voters.
Mr Bhanwarlal told the delegation that he had inquired from officials who had said no orders had been issued on the subjects.
“The government is trying to fool voters with such promises. The EC should take action,” Mr Niranjan said.
Another delegation led by BJP floor leader Dr K. Laxman, N. Ramchander and TD leader Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy met the CEO and made a similar complaint against the TRS government.
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