HYDERABAD: Politically conscious villagers with a view to pre-empting adversary parties have resorted to painting on their walls their political choices for the forthcoming Assembly polls. A villager near Jangaon has boldly painted on his the slogan, “Votes in this house are not for sale”. Podeti Bhumayya, a resident of Ibrahimpatnam in Jagityal district wrote on his wall that his vote was meant for Kalvakuntla Vidyasagar Rao. He even substantiated his preference mentioning goodies like Rs 4,000 cash assistance per acre under the Rythu Bandhu scheme, uninterrupted power supply, schemes like Asara and Kalyana Lakshmi etc.
This display on the villager’s wall impressed caretaker minister K.T. Rama Rao so much that he posted it on his Twitter handle. Defacing walls is a violation of the model code of conduct which says nobody can write slogans or stick posters on any property without the owner’s permission. However, if the owner himself voluntarily defaces his walls with a view to influence others, it could also attract penal provisions, a senior advocate said.
State Chief Electoral Officer Rajath Kumar in a press meet said that if any one lodged a complaint against such practices, they would certainly initiate action. He also said that villagers’ resolving to vote en masse for a political party was undemocratic as the Indian election system did not seek collective will. Every voter was expected to use his conscience, he added.
