Hyderabad: Citing discrepancies in the Gaggallapally MPTC election, the State Election Commission called off the polling on May 6.
The SEC said it had come to its notice that TRS MPTC candidate Dodia Eshawar Reddy had forcibly given money to Congress candidate Dodla Venkata Narayana Reddy to withdraw from the fray. The SEC, after careful consideration of all relevant information, decided to declare the election process held so far to the Gaggallapally MPTC as null and void.
State Election Commissioner V. Nagi Reddy said a fresh notification to conduct the election will be issued separately.
Mr Reddy said that the Nagarkurnool district officials in their report had said that Mr Narayana Reddy offered a Rs 10-lakh bribe to Mr Eshwar Reddy to withdrew his nomination. The money was handed over to the police.
"Though the gist of the enquiry reveals no use of any physical force it alludes to amongst others the involvement of huge sum of Rs.10 lakh offered as bribe.
This amount of Rs. 10 lakh was handed over to the police". he added. Mr Reddy said giving money to a candidate to withdraw from the fray amounts to bribery which is a corrupt practice under section 211 (1) of Telangana Panchayat Raj Act, 2018. This apart, he said it subverts the democratic election process by denying freedom of choice to voters by excluding potential candidates from the contest on financial grounds. He said that the SEC has decided to call off polling and would issue a fresh notification later.
