KCR Leading Statehood Movement, Demonstrated Power of Ballot: Suresh Reddy

Suresh Reddy, taking part in a discussion on electoral reforms in the Rajya Sabha, said it was Rao who demonstrated the power of the ballot during the struggle for Telangana statehood movement.

“For 14 years there were protests by every section of society demanding statehood and it was Chandrashekar Rao who said the only way to awaken the Government of India was the power of the ballot. He resigned twice after being elected from two different constituencies to demonstrate that people from across the region wanted Telangana state. Not only him, seeing his resignations, people compelled other parties to resign, in a demonstration of their will,” Suresh Reddy said.

The BRS MP said his party firmly believed that every eligible citizen must be registered as a voter.

“We agree that we need clean electoral rules. But we have to ensure that those with limited documentation are also ensured their right to vote. Strict verification should not become a mechanism to exclude voters, difficulty in accessing paperwork should not rob people their right to vote. The concern regarding the difficulties faced to reinclude a name once removed must be addressed,” he said.

Suresh Reddy also stressed on the problem of defections after elections, and called for the setting up of a Parliamentary Committee to ensure proper implementation of anti-defection laws.