P. Suresh, the BJP candidate in the byelection for the Badvel (SC) Assembly constituency, wrote a letter to the returning officer demanding a repoll in 12 polling booths in Atlur mandal, seven in Gopavaram, five in Badvel Rural and four in B. Kodur alleging that the YSRCP leaders resorted to rigging and committed other irregularities in collusion with the polling staff. The police and YSRCP supporters had threatened the BJP agents with dire consequences, rendering the election a farce, he said.
In spite of the BJP agents’ insistence that the election staff should ensure the conduct of polling in a democratic manner, they did nothing due to the influence of the ruling party, Mr. Suresh alleged.
Meanwhile, BJP State president Somu Veerraju complained to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) that the police had remained mute spectators even as a large number of fake voters were lined up at the booths. Persons from other villages were brought in to cast votes in violation of norms and there was booth-capturing at many places. These blatant irregularities warrant prompt action by the CEC, he said.
‘Police helped in rigging’
Staff Reporter adds from Kadapa: BJP State general secretary S. Vishnuvardhan Reddy alleged that the YSRCP leaders in Kadapa district had “re-enacted the rigging spree in the Badvel byelection in connivance with the police personnel”.
He told the media that it was unfortunate that there was not much difference between the YSRCP cadres and the police personnel on poll duty as they kept cooperating with each other for rigging in several booths. He said that a number of outsiders were brought to Badvel to rig the election.
He took objection to the free movement of former MLA Govinda Reddy in all mandals of the constituency. In spite of the BJP’s demand for keeping Mr. Govinda Reddy under house arrest, the police did nothing in this regard, Mr Vishnuvardhan Reddy said.
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