Huzurabad: Outsiders play hide & seek

Did outsiders continue to remain in the Huzurabad Assembly constituency even on the day of polling? Both TRS and BJP leaders claim that the Election Commission has turned a blind eye towards this aspect. Both sides allege that the other party had lured voters by utilising the services of outsiders in distribution of money for votes. While the TRS leaders allege that the BJP could do so because they were in power in the Centre. Entire administration, including the police, is under the control of ECI, they said. On the other hand, the BJP alleged that the TRS had misused official machinery which did not take serious action even when they complained about the role of outsiders because the authorities, though under EC control, were local people.

In Ward No 28 in Jammikunta, the BJP leaders alleged that money was kept hidden in the residence of ward councillor Deepti. The BJP leaders alleged that the TRS MLA Aroori Ramesh, who was a non-local, was hiding inside the house and money was being distributed in the councillor's house.

Leaders of both the parties came to blows here and the police had to intervene and disperse the crowd. DCP Satyanarayana said that they checked, and that the MLA was not there in the house. He said that some of the non-local leaders from both the parties were taken into custody.

In Huzurabad mandal, the BJP leaders caught hold of a person who was allegedly distributing money at Hanuman temple. The BJP leaders took the person to the police station alleging that the person was an outsider and was giving money. At Himmatnagar School in Huzurabad, the TRS leaders stopped BJP leader and former ZP Chairperson Tula Uma. The TRS leaders alleged that Uma was a non-local leader.

At Booth No 176 in the Government Degree College in Jammikunta, the BJP leaders alleged that the TRS leaders distributed money. BJP candidate Eatala Rajender alleged that the police provided security to the TRS activists to distribute money. Talking to the media after casting his vote in Kamalapur, he alleged that liquor was flowing in the constituency and hundreds of crores were distributed to the voters. He said that it was a blot on democracy that people were openly stating that they did not get money. "It appears CM KCR does not want me to enter the Assembly hence he was using his entire machinery against me. If people do not stop this, society will go into slavery," he said.

There was a tense situation at Maripellegudem in Kamalapur mandal where the police seized a vehicle of Eatala Rajender. The authorities said that there was no permission for three vehicles in the convoy. They also took the PRO of Rajender, Chaitanya into custody. Kamalapur CI said that they had seized a vehicle without a number plate.