Naidu demands ballot paper for GHMC polls

Hyderabad, July 25 :-

  The Telugu Desam (TDP) Supremo N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday demanded the State Election Commissioner to conduct coming Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporations (GHMC) elections in Ballot papers only in view of the doubts expressed over the functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

Addressing a rally organised as part of GHMC elections at Kutublapur and Malkaggiri, he said the use of EVMs be suspended temporarily as the debate raged over efficacy of EVMs in reliable recording of votes.

“In view of these doubts, there is an indelible impression in the public mind that EVMs cannot be relied upon to exercise their franchise,’’ Naidu said.

Mr Chandrababu Naidu wanted people to give a shock to the Congress by defeating it in the GHMC elections for neglecting people’s interests.

He said that if the government failed to contain the soaring prices of essential commodities, the people of the state would teach a fitting lesson to the ruling party. “It would bite the dust in civic polls,” he said.

He promised to give efficient and responsible administration to people, if the party voted to power in the GHMC elections.

The TDP chief has urged the State Election Commissioner AV S Reddy to defer issuance of notification on the GHMC elections till the party gets the required information on reservation of divisions.

The TDP raised objections over the reservation of divisions in the GHMC limits as notified on July 14, saying it was not based on the accurate figures.

It also raised objections over the bifurcation of divisions, saying the number of voters varied from one division to the other.