TDP, TRS urge EC to ensure fair poll

Hyderabad, Nov 21 (UNI) Concerned over attempts to distribute cricket kits and money to woo voters in Karimnagar byelection by the ruling Congress, the opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh today urged the Election Commission to immediately intervene and ensure free and fair poll.

Talking to newspersons here, Telugu Desam Party(TDP) president N Chandrababu Naidu announced his party would lodge a formal complaint with the EC against the Congress.

Mr Naidu demanded immediate suspension of Information Commissioner K Sudhakar Rao against whom the Karimnagar Police had registered a case after the seizure of a van loaded with cricket kit bags and Rs five lakh in cash. ''The Congress party is legalising corruption by sending a list of persons for distribution of the cricket kits,'' he alleged.

Alleging that Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and political advisor K V P Ramachandra Rao had been bent upon winning the bypoll by hook or crook, former Union Minister of State for Rural Development and senior TRS leader A Narendra told newspersons here that action should be taken against Mr Sudhakar, as also Markfed Chairman P Prabhakar Rao, for allegedly wooing the young voters with cricket kit bags and cash.

Talking to newspersons, BJP State President B Datattreya demanded the suspension of the two Congress leaders and intervention of the Election Commission to ensure free and fair poll.

CPI(M) State Secretary and Polit Bureau Member B V Raghavulu, told newspersons that the Congress, after allegedly losing people's support, was resorting to electoral malpractices to win the bypoll at any cost.

Reacting to the development, CPI State Secretary K Narayana claimed that it was normal for all burgeoise parties to indulge in such electoral malpractices. While the Congress party had been allegedly caught red-handed, other parties, including the BJP and the TRS were doing the same without getting caught, he alleged.

The by-election was caused by the resignation of the seat by TRS Chief K Chandrashekara Rao, accepting a political challenge from the Congress after quitting the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre.

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