Bogus votes create stir in Kakinada

Kakinada: Enrolment of fake votes is creating confusion in Kakinada city. Various political parties are alleging that around 40,000 fake votes were registered by YSRCP.

This seat is crucial for YSRCP as sitting MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy is a close associate of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. Recently Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan made serious allegations against him during Varahi Yatra. He said Kakinada has been turned into the ‘ganja capital’ and sitting MLA was involved in land grabbing and rice scams and that he was running a ‘corrupt empire’.

He said that once the TDP-JSP government comes to power, cases of corruption and scams will be filed and Chandrasekhar Reddy will be arrested. The MLA later challenged Pawan to contest against him and win.

Although Jana Sena did not give a direct answer to this, Pawan Kalyan stayed in Kakinada for four days and conducted reviews with the key activists of the party from the constituency up to booth level and called upon the rank and file to see that YSRCP does not win even a single seat from the Godavari districts.

On the other hand, the BJP too has taken up a campaign against Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy. A few months ago, the MLA made controversial remarks in a meeting of Christian community held at McLaren grounds. He called Christians to vote for the YSRCP to get a Christian Chief Minister.

BJP has taken it seriously. BJP leaders criticised that Chandrasekhar Reddy for his attempts to divide people based on religion. They called upon the people to teach a lesson to the YSRCP leader in the ensuing elections.

Against the backdrop, the issue of registration of fake votes has become a major issue in Kakinada constituency.

Kakinada constituency TDP in-charge and former MLA Vanamadi Kondababu alleged that YSRCP is trying to win by illegal means as there is a strong opposition to it among the people. He told The Hans India that 17,000 fraudulent votes were enrolled in favor of the YSRCP in the Kakinada city constituency.

It is learnt that TDP leaders have complained to the district election officer and collector Krittika Shukla and the municipal commissioner on fake votes. They also

complained that the votes

of TDP sympathisers have been removed.

Kondababu demanded that appropriate action be taken immediately against the irregularities in voters’ registration, fake votes should be removed and action against those responsible.

Meanwhile, BJP district president Chilukuri Ram Kumar and media panelist Duvvuri Subrahmanyam said that around 40,000 votes were tampered with. It has been alleged that the names of supporters of other parties have been deleted and fake names were included.

The TDP leaders are alleging that the response of the authorities to the complaints made by the opposition was lukewarm. The spread of fake votes is causing concern to various parties, which can seriously affect the results of the elections. It is an interesting development that all three parties are expressing concern over fake votes in Kakinada at this stage when the alliance of three parties TDP, BJP and Jana Sena is expected to be finalised.