BJP writes to EC, alleges electoral malpractices by BRS candidates, workers in Telangana polls

HYDERABAD (Telangana): Union Minister and Telangana Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president G Kishan Reddy has written to the Election Commission and Chief Electoral Officer of the state alleging "electoral malpractices by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) candidates and their workers" during voting for assembly polls on Thursday. Reddy alleged that Telangana Police have been supporting BRS candidates in "electoral malpractices".

He alleged that BRS candidates and workers, comprising of 100 to 200 people, were moving around the polling stations in various constituencies. "When BJP workers complained about the same to the police and other officials, instead of taking action against such incidents, they are allowing the BRS workers to attack the BJP workers," he alleged. Reddy alleged that the police and other officials were witnessing the incidents and failed to take any action.

He said in one such incident in the Janagaon assembly when the BRS candidate was moving "with a huge number of supporters", the same was objected to and the police remained "as mute spectators", facilitating the ruling party workers "in moving around the polling stations along with a huge number of workers".

"When the BJP workers objected to the same, the BRS workers along with their candidate are threatening them with dire consequences and not allowing free and fair polling," the letter said. "Like this in the majority of the constituencies, the police are supporting directly or indirectly the BRS candidates and their workers and threatening the BJP workers to implicate them in false cases," he alleged.

He alleged that in the Amberpet constituency, "the BRS candidate and his son were found openly distributing money and no action has been taken so far". "Similar incidents from various places and constituencies are being reported," he said.