High drama over Pinnelli surrender

Vijayawada: Thursday witnessed another round of high drama as there were speculations that Macherla MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy would surrender before the Narasraopet court. Heavy police force was deployed but finally he did not turn up.

The opposition leaders allege that this was yet another diversionary tactic by the police. They argue that if eight teams were searching for the MLA it is not possible that they could not find his whereabouts. Their argument is that on Wednesday, the MLA deliberately sent his car with his mobile phone and gunman and as police chased that car, he escaped from KPHB colony house in Hyderabad.

They further pointed out that the police had earlier said that the MLA escaped from his house in Macherla though he was under house arrest and even his gunman did not know about it. If that was the case, how the gunman surfaced in the vehicle which the police caught on Wednesday, they asked.

Meanwhile, a fresh controversy regarding the authenticity of the video in which the MLA was shown destroying the EVM and VVPAT equipment which had gone viral is being questioned by the YSRCP. They say that it was taken from the X handle of TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh. They have lodged a complaint with the CEO MK Meena. The CEO’s comments that the ECI did not release the video added to the confusion. Interestingly, Meena on Thursday ordered the suspension of the polling officer and assistant polling officer of the booth where the MLA smashed the EVM for failing to provide information about the incident.