Like in Viveka case, YCP goons killed AP democracy
Volunteers taking bogus voters to polling booths
SEC doing nothing to ensure free, fair polls
AMARAVATI: TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh on Monday slammed Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy for ‘murdering democracy’ now just like how his babai Vivekananda Reddy was murdered in cold blood in his own Pulivendula house in 2019.
Lokesh accused the Chief Minister of using ‘bogus voters’ to commit daylight murder of democracy and people’s mandate in the current civic body elections. Ill-gotten mafia money was being abundantly used to vitiate the pious election process.
In a statement here, Lokesh said that the credit for turning the election process into a shady commercial activity in which the people were no longer the decision makers. The votes were turned into commercial commodities in the marketplace. The volunteers, who were drawing salaries from public funds, were acting like YCP political activists and they were bringing voters to the polling booths.
Nara Lokesh condemned the manner in which the Kuppam police and the election officials were detaining and arresting the TDP leaders and polling agents in the Kuppam civic body elections. The police officers should explain why they allowed the ruling YCP leaders to bring bogus voters in buses and vehicles from other places. What was the State Election Commission (SEC) doing when the volunteers were bringing voters to the booths?
Lokesh deplored that democracy was being turned into a mockery right in front of the eyes of the police. The bogus voters were going and casting their votes right in front of the policemen who were on election duty. What message would this send to the people in the streets? Election violations were taking place at every stage with the SEC not taking any action to ensure free and fair polls.
Nara Lokesh said that Jagan Reddy had finally opened his eyes to the fact that the people were very angry against his rule because of price rise, high taxes, bad roads, deteriorating law and order and YCP atrocities. The Chief Minister had started solely depending on illegalities and violations to win the polls. He realised that the YCP defeat would be certain if the people were allowed to take part in elections freely.
Lokesh said that the YCP had put up all sorts of hurdles in order to prevent the civic body elections from being held in a democratic manner. The elections were eventually turned into Jagan Reddy selections, which was despicable and unpardonable.
