DS responds to EC notice

Responding to the show-cause notice, Pradesh Congress Committee chief D Srinivas on Saturday submitted his explanation to the Election Commission.

It may be recalled that the Election Commission had issued him a show-cause notice seeking his explanation following allegations that he asked votes in the name of a caste during the campaigning.

Responding to the complaint, the Commission  issued him a notice. The State Elelectoral officer is stated to have issued a general warning urging all parties against crossing the Lakshman Rekha set by the EC in the form of the Model Code of Conduct.

DS has been touring the constituency extensively. But what is curious is the tacit understanding developing between him and the TRS. There are no protests to his meetings from any quarter.

The separatist party is unlikely to put up a candidate in Nizamabad. That way, it will be seen as “appreciating” the act of the BJP legislator in resigning his seat for Telangana.

But the underlying thinking is to avoid a split in the votes and thereby help Srinivas, who is also a strong votary of T-state and is capable of garnering votes on that count.

Also, not putting up a candidate would make it easy for TRS cadres to work at the ground level in favour of Srinivas. Srinivas and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao enjoy a fairly good relationship.