YSR Congress Party is including non-graduates in electoral rolls for MLC election, alleges TDP’s Atchannaidu

We will ensure that unqualified people voting in the election will face legal action, says TDP State president

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Andhra Pradesh unit president, K. Atchannaidu, on Tuesday alleged that the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) had vitiated the electoral process by including a large number of bogus voters in the electoral rolls to win the forthcoming MLC election from the Graduates’ constituencies in the State.

Addressing the media here after reviewing the party’s poll prospects in the March 13 elections with party functionaries, Mr. Atchannaidu said the ruling YSRCP leaders were using the village and ward volunteers and village secretaries to rig the MLC elections. “Even those who did not complete their schooling have been shown as graduates by enclosing fake graduation certificates and have been enrolled in the electoral rolls,” he charged.

Officials responsible for the conduct of the elections should ensure that only graduates can cast their vote in the elections. ‘‘The TDP will fight a legal battle in courts and ensure punishment for non-graduates voting in the elections, as well as erring village volunteers who include their names and gazetted officers who certify that these unqualified people are graduates,” Mr. Atchannaidu asserted.

The party activists had detected inclusion of more than 10,000 bogus votes in the electoral rolls based on fake graduation certificates, the TDP veteran alleged.

The review meeting was attended by a host of TDP leaders including former Ministers Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and Nakka Ananda Babu, TDP State vice-president D. Janardhana Rao, TDP Ongole unit president N. Balaji and MLAs G. Ravikumar, Dola Balaveeranjeyana Swamy and Y. Sambasiva Rao, who also campaigned in support of the TDP nominee from East Rayalaseema Graduates constituency K. Srikanth here.