The Rajampet

The Congress has urged the Election Commission to step up surveillance to ensure fair elections in Kadapa on May 8.

Accusing the YSR Congress Party of using all means to win the elections, Government Chief Whip Mallu Bhati Vikramarka, Government Whip K. Murali and MLC P. Sudhakar Reddy at a press conference wanted precautionary measures for free and fair polls in Kadapa parliamentary constituency and Pulivendula.

Appeal to voters

They reiterated their appeal to the voters of Kadapa not to waste their valuable vote by casting it in the favour of YSR Congress Party candidate Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

“Vote for Jagan is vote for BJP. Every vote cast in support of the fan symbol will benefit Karnataka Minister Gali Janardhan Reddy,” Mr. Bhatti told reporters at a press conference here on Thursday.

He said every vote in favour of the Congress was nothing but paying utmost respect for former Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy.

News reports

Mr. Bhatti urged the EC to treat all news reports published in Sakshi Telugu daily and election reports pertaining to Mr. Jaganmohan Reddy in his Sakshi TV channel as paid news. He charged that 80 per cent of the news covered favoured YSR Congress Party chief.

Mr. Bhatti and Mr. Sudhakar Reddy referring to the alleged looting of mining resources in the agency areas of Khammam district said it was not new.

They said the Congress elected representatives would launch a yatra to protect the mining resources. They said the Congress had been agitating against the illegal mining for several years in the district.

They reiterated the government's commitment to protect the mineral resources in the State.

The district administration today informed that web casting will be done of the polling process for the bypolls to be held on May 8 in Kadapa and Pulivendula constituencies.

You can see in picture that an EC official monitoring the polling in the first phase of West Bengal Assembly elections through webcasting for the first time in India. The same process is being taken up for the bypolls in Kadapa LS and Pulivendula Assembly seats in AP. Photo: Sushanta Patronobish.

District Collector and Returning Officer Sasibhusan Kumar said that “All arrangements were made for ‘web casting’ of the poling process” in the ensuing bye-elections for the first time in the country.

“There are some hurdles in arranging the system at a few points but we are hopeful that that more than seventy five percent of the total poling stations will be covered,” Mr. Kumar said.

Bypolls will be held on May 8 for Pulivendula assembly constituency and Kadapa Lok Sabha seat following resignations by Y S Vijayalaxmi, wife of late Y S Rajsekhara Reddy, and her son Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy respectively.

About 1500 IIT students are being trained to take part in the election process and their laptops being upgraded with the requisite software, he added.

The collector also said that the arrangements were specifically made at the “hyper sensitive, sensitive and troublesome poling stations” on a priority basis.

He said that seventeen cases in total involving clashes between two groups in connection with campaigning for their respective candidates have been registered.

The collector also informed that in total Rs 2.2 crore, suspected to be slush fund of political parties meant to be distributed among electorate, was seized while two cases were registered under Representatives of People Act (RP)and IPC.

Nearly 10,000 activists and sympathisers of YSR Congress Party were booked in bind-over cases at the behest of Congress leaders, YSR Congress Party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy alleged on Monday.

During his road show at Simhadripuram in Pulivendula constituency, Mr. Reddy accused the Congress and the Telugu Desam Party leaders of colluding to pressurise the police to book bind over cases on innocent persons supporting his party.

“Police are beating my party activists in the guise of binding them over,” he alleged.

Referring to the alleged attack on TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, Mr. Reddy held him responsible for the incident as he instigated the villagers by his provocative speech.

Praja Rajyam president K. Chiranjeevi too provoked the people by his remarks and by twisting his moustache in Pulivendula, challenging the local people's self-respect, he alleged.

In his campaign in Balapanur, YSR's native village, Mr. Reddy accused the Congress of indulging in murky politics and levelling wild allegations on him every day. He recalled that the Lok Sabha candidate of TDP had camped in Balapanur on the polling day in 2009, but could hardly secure 20 votes in the village.

Meanwhile, notices were served on 11 candidates who filed nomination papers as Independents in Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency as officials decided that they are non-serious candidates, Kadapa District Election Officer and Collector Shashi Bhushan Kumar said on Monday.

He told newsmen here that action was initiated to withdraw facilities - such as polling and counting agents and vehicle permits etc., he told a news conference here. Some Independent candidates did not submit their election expenditure although other candidates submitted two rounds of expenditure reports so far and they too would be treated as non-serious candidates, he said.

60 persons arrested

Seventeen cases of pre-poll disturbance in election meetings were booked and 60 persons were arrested, as obstructing any candidates' right to canvass is an offence under the Representation of People's Act. The DEO said resorting to personal slander, throwing challenges, provocation on caste, religion and other forms were also offences but one case was booked so far with regard to appealing voters in a church in Porumamilla, he said. Notices were served in two cases on receiving complaints and relevant video-clippings were sent to EC authorities, he added.

Nearly Rs. 2.20 crore was seized and 26 cases were booked. Seized coins of Rs. 5 lakh belonging to GMR Company for a toll gate on National Highway No. 7 and money seized from cow-herds who were going to purchase cows in a shandy were returned.

Some instances of terrorising voters were recorded in 12 polling stations in the past, he said. Adequate security forces have landed and more forces would come in the next three days, he said.

As per the Election Commission (EC) guidelines, polling officials or personnel should not enter the voting compartment on the pretext of assisting voters, the Collector said.