War of words between Congress and TDP on ‘bogus’ voters

Congress and Telugu Desam Party leaders entered into a heated verbal duel and made accusations against each other in the presence of Collector M.T. Krishna Babu at an all-party meeting convened in Proddatur Tahsildar’s office on Friday.

TDP’s Proddatur constituency in-charge Mallela Linga Reddy accused Congressmen of including bogus voters in Kamanur, native village of Proddatur MLA N. Varadarajulu Reddy, Bhagatsingh Colony, Amruthanagar, Gopavaram and other places in Proddatur town.

Voter revision was entrusted to officials who were biased towards the ruling party leaders, he alleged and demanded action against the erring political leaders and officials concerned who cooperated with them.

Heated exchanges ensued between Mr. Linga Reddy and N. Konda Reddy, son of the Proddatur MLA.

When Mr. Linga Reddy alleged that bogus votes were rampant in Kamanur village, Mr. Konda Reddy countered him by questioning how the TDP leader figured as voter in both Proddatur and Gopavaram.

The Collector intervened and advised them not to argue but point out lapses in the voters’ list.

Proddatur in-charge municipal chairman V.S. Mukthiar demanded implementation of the Election Commission’s orders on the voters revision.

He asserted that Congress leaders did not get bogus voters enrolled. Former municipal chairman and TDP leader Rachamallu Prasada Reddy demanded stern action against those enrolling bogus voters.

The Collector and Joint Collector M. Girijasankar asserted that revision of voter list was undertaken as per the EC’s guidelines.

Officials cannot be solely held responsible for any irregularities in voter revision, political leaders too were responsible, they said. Calling for cooperation of all parties to ensure inclusion of genuine voters, they advised the leaders not to wile away time in levelling allegations and counter-allegations.

Mr. Krishna Babu warned of stern action against officials if they resort to irregularities at the behest of politicians.

Voters’ lists would be handed over to the political parties on January 6 and 7 and if photographs were misplaced, they could procure passport photographs of voters and hand them over to officials concerned by January 9, he said.

The Election Commission would publish the final electoral list on January 20, he said.

Earlier, TDP leaders led by Mr. Linga Reddy and Mr. Prasada Reddy staged dharna before the tahsildar officer alleging that municipal officials and anganwadi workers entrusted with voter revision are following the diktats of the in-charge municipal chairman.

They demanded an inquiry into the voters’ list containing two lakh voters.

TDP leaders M. Lakshmiprasanna, Khaja Mohiuddin, Narayanaswamy, Venkatasubba Reddy, Purushotham Reddy, Sarojamma and SDardar Basha participated.