CM must quit, Governor\'s rule needed: Congress

Hyderabad: The Congress on Thursday demanded imposition of Governor's rule in the wake of the Election Commission of India transferring district collectors and police chiefs for allegedly favouring the BRS.

It demanded that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao tender his resignation to facilitate the holding of Assembly elections under the Governor's rule.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, TPCC election commission coordination committee chairman G. Niranjan said, “In the light of the transfer of many police, revenue, and excise officials by ECI on Wednesday, the CM has no moral right to continue in the post. He should submit his resignation and the Assembly elections should be held under the Governor's rule.”

The action against the officers reflected the lapses in state administration and exposed how the officers were working in tune with the wishes of the ruling party, the Congress alleged.

“BRS Khammam district president and MLC Tata Madhu's utterances in Khammam on Wednesday that officials should work as per the instructions of the ruling party leaders clearly indicates how they treat officers as their slaves,” Niranjan said.

Niranjan quoted Madhu as saying: “Not only MRO, RDO or collector, whoever it may be, has to listen to our party. Because the government is ours. Be it SI, CI, ACP, ASP, or commissioner, they have to work in favour of the government.”

He demanded that ECI take cognisance of Madhu's remarks and initiate action against him.

Niranjan alleged that Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao appointed former chief secretaries Rajiv Sharma and Somesh Kumar as government advisers and was using them to do mischief. “Free and fair polls are not possible if Rao continues as Chief Minister,” Niranjan said.

He urged Telangana Governor Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan to submit a report to the ECI on government officials violating protocol.

“In so many places, police officials remained in their posts though they had been working for a long period. A list of such officers will be submitted to ECI. In Wanaparthy municipality, tender bids were called on October 9, after the model code of conduct came into force,” Niranjan said.