YSRCP Asks Governor to Intervene in Andhra Polls

HYDERABAD:
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Tuesday sought Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan’s intervention to prevent rising attacks on YSRCP cadres and demand more security for the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) alleging that the law and order situation was deteriorating in Andhra Pradesh.

YSRCP President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy met the Governor here and submitted to him a memorandum alleging that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was misusing his office to target YSRCP cadres with false cases.

According to the YSRCP chief, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) members resorted to violence on the polling day and subsequently attacked the YSRCP leaders and cadres.

Speaking to reporters, the YSRCP leader referred to an incident last Thursday, when Speaker Kodela Siva Prasad Rao entered a polling station during voting in Sattenapally constituency, locked himself from inside and rigged the EVMs. The police had to force him out of the room.

Jagan said that Rao claimed that he took shelter in the polling booth as YSRC activists tried to attack him. So while eight persons were arrested on charges of attacking Rao, no action was taken against him for having locked himself inside a polling booth, he said. Jagan also alleged that Naidu was using police officers belonging to his community and others who were given out-of-turn promotions, to target the Opposition party and its leaders.

Jagan demanded deployment of paramilitary forces at strong rooms for the security of EVMs. He said the Centre should keep constant vigil with routine monitoring of CCTV footage by the Chief Election Commissioner and the Chief Electoral Officer.

Asked about Naidu’s complaint to the EC regarding EVMs, Jagan said such theatrics were not new for him. “Instead of gracefully accepting people’s verdict, he has been trying to make a mockery of it,” he added.

Pointing out that VVPATs were not used in the 2014 elections either, Jagan asked if Naidu would accept that he won the previous elections by manipulating the EVMs. Polling for 175-member Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state was held on April 11.