TRS-MIM, SEC turned GHMC polls into a farce: Congress

Hyderabad: The Congress party on Wednesday alleged that the inaction by the State Election Commission and local police on the poll irregularities by the TRS and MIM has turned the GHMC elections into a farce.

Hyderabad City Congress Committee (HCCC) Minorities Department Chairman Sameer Waliullah, in a media statement on Wednesday, said that the polling in many areas on Tuesday was totally farce with neither the SEC nor the police officials taking any action to stop rigging and other poll irregularities by TRS and MIM. Candidates, who tried to stop bogus voters, were attacked and polling agents were threatened and even attacked at some places. He said at most of the places, police acted as a mute spectator to the poll irregularities conducted by the ruling party and MIM workers. Even the Presiding Officers took no action despite the Congress candidates and their agents specifically pointing out the irregularities.

The Congress leader said that this kind of election was nothing but total waste of taxpayers' valuable money. He said that the SEC and the entire polling staff must realize that they were being paid by the public exchequer for their duties. Therefore, instead of acting as agents of the ruling party, they should've acted as public servants.

Sameer Waliullah also condemned the partisan role played by the State Election Commission in conducting GHMC elections. He said that the SEC held the elections in a hurry without giving sufficient time for the political parties to pick the right candidates and literally one week time for the candidates for the campaign. He said that the candidates were unable to meet their voters even once due to paucity of time. Almost all the candidates were forced to conduct whirlwind padayatras or road shows as they had no time to interact with the voters. Further, he said that the SEC openly favoured the ruling TRS and took no action on the complaints lodged by opposition parties, especially the Congress.

He said that the current GHMC elections would be remembered in history as the 'worst ever polls' and those responsible for them would also be remembered for their partisan and negligent attitude. However, he said that the Congress party tried hard to approach the voters and convinced them to cast their votes. He said irrespective of which party wins the GHMC polls, the role played by the ruling party, SEC and other officials would be condemned forever as they tried to hurt the democratic processes.

He also alleged that the 'hate campaign' carried out by TRS, BJP and MIM parties was largely responsible for the low percentage of polling in the elections for Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC).

Sameer Waliullah said that the statements given by leaders of TRS-BJP-MIM parties instilled fear among the voters about the possibilities of violence on the polling day. Consequently, more than half of voters in the GHMC limits stayed indoors on the polling day. "They carried out the campaign at such a high pitch that it kept a majority of voters distracted and disturbed," he alleged.

He said that only the Congress party raised public issues during the GHMC poll campaign. "All our leaders highlighted the problems being faced by the people and also offered solutions if our party is voted to power. Contrary to Congress approach, TRS party talked about Law & Order issue and 'curfew' and instilled fear among the people that there might be violence if people don't vote for it. Similarly, BJP leaders raised all irrelevant issues like renaming Hyderabad to polarise the elections on communal lines. MIM tried to encash on the provocative statements delivered by Akbaruddin Owaisi. All three parties gave an impression that GHMC elections were all about them and not about people," he said.