For the October 30 bypoll to the Huzurabad Assembly constituency, the Election Commission has banned political activities and meetings not only in the constituency but also in Hanamkonda and Karimnagar districts.
The Election Commission of India recently extended the curbs under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) to Hanamkonda and Karimnagar districts in view of the bypoll in the neighbouring Huzurabad Assembly constituency. However, the move has not gone down well with Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and here’s why he is unhappy.
What curbs did the Election Commission introduce?
For the October 30 bypoll to the Huzurabad Assembly constituency, the Election Commission has banned political activities and meetings not only in the constituency but also in Hanamkonda and Karimnagar districts. The EC has also directed the Telangana Government not to go ahead with the Dalit Bandhu scheme in Huzurabad until after the bypoll is over.
Why is KCR and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) unhappy?
The Telangana Rashtra Samithi was planning to hold a public meeting to be addressed by Rao on October 27 at Hanamkonda at a place near to Huzurabad. Both the directions of extending the curbs and asking the government not to go ahead with the Dalit Bandhu scheme in the Huzurabad constituency has angered Rao.
How did Rao react?
On October 20, the CM slammed the EC for stopping the Dalit Bandhu scheme which he said, was aimed at empowering the Dalit community. “The EC is crossing all limits by stopping the state government from continuing it (the scheme),” he had said while speaking after inspecting the ongoing work at Yadadri Temple.
On October 25, while speaking at the TRS plenary held in Hyderabad, the CM criticised the EC for stopping him from holding a public meeting at Hanamkonda. “The EC is overstepping its limits. What has the EC achieved by stopping me from holding the public meeting? As the CM of a state and a senior politician, I would like to know,” he said. Rao also advised the EC to maintain its dignity and autonomy and not succumb to pressure.
What necessitated the by-election?
The bypoll was necessitated after the resignation of former Health Minister Etela Rajender who was dropped from the Cabinet on May 1 over allegations of land grabbing by a company owned by Rajender. He also resigned from TRS and from his post of MLA of Huzurabad.
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