Telangana Assembly elections 2023: Minister Satyavathi Rathod booked for offering money to women during poll campaign
The Hindu
In a viral video, Ms.Rathod was purportedly seen putting a few currency notes in the aarti plate after being accorded a traditional welcome by some women during her election campaign.
Guduru police on Friday registered an FIR against Tribal, Women and Child Welfare Minister Satyavathi Rathod on charges of offering money to influence voters, following a complaint by a flying squad of the Election Commission.
Ms.Rathod was booked under Section 171 E and other relevant sections of the IPC, police said.
The complaint was lodged by the flying squad tasked with enforcement of model code of conduct (MCC) for the November 30 Assembly elections in Telangana. A detailed investigation is under way to unravel the truth, said a police official.
On Thursday evening, a video went viral wherein Ms.Rathod was purportedly seen putting a few currency notes in the aarti plate after being accorded a traditional welcome by some women on her arrival at Kongaragidda village as part of the BRS election campaign, sources added. In the complaint, it was alleged that she kept ₹4,000 in the aarti plate, which amounted to violation of the MCC.
More than 2.6 lakh village and ward volunteers in Andhra Pradesh, once celebrated as the government’s grassroots champions for their crucial role in implementing welfare schemes, are now in a dilemma after learning that their tenure has not been renewed after August 2023 even though they have been paid honoraria till June 2024. Disowned by both YSRCP, which was in power when they were appointed, and the current ruling TDP, which made a poll promise to double their pay, these former volunteers are ruing the day they signed up for the role which they don’t know if even still exists