The YSR Congress Mahila wing leaders demanded full security to their Pulivendula Assembly constituency candidate Y S Vijayalakshmi along with her daughter Sharmila and daughter-in-law Bharathi in view of their exposure in the Kadapa district.
The Mahila Wing leaders Vasireddy Padma, Sumathi Mohan, Indira Priyadarshini and Uday Bhaskar who met Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwar Lal at his chambers in the state Secretariat on Monday told media persons that they sought police protection to the YSR family members in view of the ‘disturbance’ by the Ministers who were campaigning in the district. Mr Bhanwar Lal however made it clear to them that he would inform the officers concerned to give protection to only the contestant and not to others.
They alleged that the voters in the district were being harassed by the Congress Ministers. The Ministers were also creating a ‘tense’ situation using their official machinery and sought assurance from the CEO to maintain peace in the constituencies for conduct of free and fair polling.
Stating that there was rampant flow of ‘cash’ in the constituencies, the Mahila leaders brought to the notice of the CEO that Election Code was being violated with the support of Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. They reminded Mr Bhanwar Lal that Mr Jaganmohan Reddy had stopped the ‘Odarpu Yatra’ in Vijayanagaram soon as he received a message that by-elections were declared.
On the same grounds, the ministers who are currently touring the district must resign first and go for campaign, they demanded. They quoted the case of Congress Mla Jeevan Reddy who had quit his post under the captaincy of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy before entering the by-election fray, way back in Karimnagar district. They expected the group of Ministers to follow the example of Mr Jeevan Reddy.
The Ministers’ participation in the election drive hampered the progress of the state as thousands of files were being kept pending as file disposals were blocked, the Mahila Wing further pointed out. The Mahila Wing leaders criticized the ruling Congress’ misuse of power to win the by-election.
The ruling party was afraid of the popularity of their leader Mr Jaganmohan Reddy, they stated and added if that is the case the Congress could as well rope in the support of party leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to campaign.