VIJAYAWADA: The ruling YSR Congress has lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission against the Opposition Telugu Desam over the release of TD election manifesto for the Gram Panchayat elections.
A YSRC team led by party state general secretary Lella Appi Reddy submitted a complaint to the SEC in specific against TD chief Chandrababu Naidu. The former CM, the team said, has violated the model code of conduct by releasing the manifesto even as panchayat elections are being held on a non-party basis.
The YSRC leaders noted that the SEC had, by exercising its plenary powers, passed an order prescribing restrictions in use of campaign materials such as handbills, flexes, pamphlets, banners and flags with a view to avoiding political overtones in the non-party based panchayat elections. This was done so as to ensure free, fair and peaceful polls, and maintain the spirit of the Statute.
They said that since elections to the panchayats are done on non-party basis, each panchayat is a separate unit for the election process. Hence, there cannot be interference by political parties. The TD however violated the SEC orders and election laws, the YSRC team complained.
The YSRC complaint stated that the TD has also got pamphlets printed and the Opposition party is using these physically and virtually for the poll campaign. These pamphlets carried the names and photographs of TD leaders. The YSRC team urged the SEC to take action against TD for “gross violation of the Constitutional provisions” and “damaging the spirit of the panchayat elections”.
Meanwhile, the YSRC objected to plan for use of a separate app by the SEC to monitor elections and for receiving complaints, after putting aside the official apps. YSRC state general secretary Lella Appi Reddy and other party leaders lodged a complaint with the SEC in this respect on Friday.
Appi Reddy said the SEC had in his video conference with district collectors reportedly disclosed about an app it developed and put to use in the notified election process. He recalled that there was already an app developed by the Government of Andhra Pradesh by name NIGHA app to cater to the needs of the election commission.
He pointed out that the panchayat election commissioner issued a notification on January 8 and the model code of conduct came into operation from the next day. There was no mention about the new app in the public domain, he said.
Appi Reddy said a new app could mean violation of safety and security aspects relating to the polls. “There are applications in the domain created by the central and state governments. So what is the need for a new app?”
