After probe, 23 volunteers suspended in Rajahmundry

Rajamahendravaram: Rajahmundry Municipal Corporation commissioner and Rajahmundry city returning officer Dinesh Kumar announced on Thursday that 23 volunteers who have violated the election guidelines have been suspended from their duties. He made it clear that all officers and employees should strictly follow the election rules and desist from engaging in any political activity.

The suspended 23 volunteers are from secretariats 76, 77 under the 44th ward in the city.

TDP-Jana Sena-BJP joint candidate Adireddy Srinivas on Wednesday complained to returning officer and municipal commissioner Dinesh Kumar that Rajahmundry MP and Rajahmundry city YSRCP candidate Margani Bharat Ram held secret meetings with ward volunteers in the city and used them for political activity. He said the ruling party leaders are putting pressure on volunteers to work on behalf of the party.

Adireddy Srinivas said YSRCP candidate distributed saris to voters through ward volunteers in the city on March 19 and had filed a complaint along with evidence on this. The RO investigated the incident and suspended 23 volunteers.

Even though the rules and regulations say that government employees should be kept away from political activities and village and ward volunteers should not be used for election duties, some leaders and political representatives are acting without any concern for them. Some candidates are running election campaigns through ward volunteers. In some places, they do not hesitate to entice voters and distribute gifts with the help of volunteers.

More than 9,000 volunteers are working in East Godavari district. Although the government pays them only Rs 5,000, they receive various cash prizes, awards and appreciation certificates. Although the volunteers included supporters of all parties, they were overwhelmingly pro-YSRCP.

A volunteer from Rajahmundry city said that Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy had introduced the village and ward volunteer system and only he would continue with it. “TDP and Jana Sena Party leaders have been against the volunteer system from the beginning. They will abolish it if they win in elections,” he said.

In these circumstances, it is seen that most of the volunteers who are in charge of every 50 to 100 households naturally are inclined towards the YSRCP. There are allegations that some volunteers are misusing their job as they are in a position with direct contact with voters with opportunities for illegal distribution of money or other inducements.

Recently, some from TDP cadre joined YSRCP in Rangampet in Anaparthi constituency. A village volunteer in the mandal not only supervised this joining but also took photos publicised it. Anaparthi TDP candidate Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy complained to the election officials about the volunteer taking active part in influencing opposition supporters in favour of YSRCP and submitted visual evidence of he wearing T-shirt with the slogan 'Siddham’, one of the ruling party’s campaign slogans.

It is learnt that a candidate in a recent secret meeting with ward and village volunteers told them to work for CM Jagan Mohan Reddy without any fear. He has also asked them to resign from their jobs and work for the party, if necessary.

They are claiming that the candidate is also promising them that if he comes back to power, he will give them jobs and increase their salaries.