Siasat.com/News/Telangana/Telangana: Many MLC
contestants distribute wine, cash, and gifts to voters
Telangana: Many MLC contestants distribute wine, cash, and gifts to voters
Hyderabad: Cash, sarees, gifts, wine and dine.
A disturbing trend has emerged in the just concluded
elections to graduates and teachers’ constituencies in Telangana State.
While elections are becoming expensive, a new trend of
distribution of cash, sarees, liquor, and other luxuries has emerged in the
recent elections for two teacher’s constituencies of the MLC elections and one
graduate’s segment.
These constituencies are where only teachers and graduates
respectively are eligible to vote.
In all, 56 candidates contested elections in the
Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar graduates’ constituency and 15 candidates
in the teachers’ segment. In Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda teachers’ constituency
poll, 19 candidates tried their luck.
Gifts galore
A source connected to the PR of elections revealed that some
candidates gave away gifts to voters in cash ranging from Rs 1000 to Rs 3000
for males, besides Teacher’s whisky bottle, etc., while some women voters were
provided pooja material, silver Kumkum Bharani, pattu/silk sarees.
Of course, dawat (parties) is a daily norm where liquor,
biryani and other choicest food flowed uninterruptedly.
“After political parties openly backed candidates and chose
financially strong candidates, this is the result. The problem is no one is
complaining, hence it has been pushed under the carpet. While we blame the
costly general elections, the local bodies’ elections, panchayat elections and
now teachers, graduates’ election expenditure has hit the roof,” a PR manager
told Siasat.com.
He added, “The distribution of money/gifts was done
area-wise and it was ensured no one was missed the freebies.”
A Congress leader said on an average a candidate spent about
Rs 2 crore to Rs 3 crore, in one case Rs 5 crore. “It’s more to do with status
and a stepping stone for a future big role in politics. I haven’t seen this
kind of spending in the past. Spending in elections is going up in every
election. Newer elements are infused in tune with the demand.”
Regular persons cannot contest
Adds a BJP leader, “Ordinary leaders cannot contest
elections now. You need money and manpower. When there are no complaints,
nothing could be done. But the moot point is people are looking alternatively
towards BJP in Telangana State and the future is bright for BJP in the State.”
As many as 499 polling stations have been set up for the
Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar graduates’ constituency to facilitate
3,55,159 electorate to exercise their franchise.
About 1,200 ballot boxes, including 600 jumbo boxes, were
used in the election. Similarly 274 polling stations have been set up for the
Medak-Nizamabad-Adilabad-Karimnagar Teachers’ constituency poll, where 658
ballot boxes were used to help 27,088 teachers exercise their franchise.
In all, 480 ballot boxes were used at 200 polling stations
in the Warangal-Khammam-Nalgonda teachers’ constituency where 25,797 voters
used their voting rights.
Congress receives drubbing
Of course, politically it was a wake-up call for the ruling
Congress led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy as opposition BJP backed
candidates bagged two seats while one seat was won by the Teachers’ union. BRS
stayed away from the polls.
In the Medak-Nizamabad-Karimnagar-Adilabad teachers’ MLC
election, BJP’s Malka Komaraiah won, while PRTU candidate Pingili Sripal Reddy
triumphed in the Nalgonda Warangal-Khammam teachers’ seat, defeating sitting
MLC Alugubelli Narsi Reddy of the United Teachers Federation.
There were allegations of tickets being sold to “realtors”
more than the “teachers” during the election process.
Komaraiah is an educationist and businessman. He had earlier
sought a BJP ticket for the Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat, but the seat was given
to Eatala Rajender. He owns Delhi Public School branches in Nadergul, Mahendra
Hills, Nacharam, and several other educational institutions under the Pallavi
Group.
His assets, including those of his wife, were valued at Rs
38.4 crore movable and Rs 23.2 crore immovable properties. Other candidates too
are cash rich.
While election officials and police have kept an eye to
ensure peaceful conduct of polls, the massive gifts eluded the prying eyes.
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