Deploy IAS from other states to conduct elections, Atchannaidu requests ECI

Visakhapatnam: TDP State president K Atchannaidu alleged that the State government is eliminating votes of Opposition parties based on volunteers’ information. A team of TDP leaders interacted with the Election Commission officials in Visakhapatnam on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion, Atchannaidu stated that he asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) officials to assign IASs from neighboring States to conduct election in the State and voter survey process so that it would be carried out in a transparent manner. Despite the ECI alerted the State government, Atchannaidu alleged that the YSRCP government continues to mount pressure on IAS officers and revenue officials to work in their favour. Further, the TDP State chief mentioned that he suggested to the EC officials not to involve inexperienced secretariat staff to perform election duties. The election officials responded positively to their request, he mentioned. The TDP leader said that they have brought to the notice of the Election Commission officials, including Senior Deputy Election Commissioners Dharmendra Sharma and Nitesh Kumar Vyas that volunteers are collecting personal information from people across the State and it would lead to future problems. Atchannaidu appealed to the ECI to extend the voter survey process for one more month, keeping in view the problems during rainy season. TDP Public Accounts Committee chairman Payyavula Keshav said the Election Commission understood the irregularities in the State as the election exercise started nine months earlier. He revealed that the Election Commission warned that they will not spare if any official violates norms. He criticised that till now in AP, the Election Commission is unable to work independently. MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, former MLAs Palla Srinivasa Rao and Gandi Babji and leaders were present.