NANDYAL: Polling in Nandyal constituency was marred by allegations of large-scale rigging. Though Prime Minister P.V Narasimha Rao was sure to win the seal, overzealous Congressmen swamped the constituency and reportedly did “everything possible” to ensure their leader a huge margin.

Immediately after the polling began at 7 am, on Saturday, groups of Congress workers were spotted at most of the polling booths in the constituency though the voters did not venture out due to inclement weather.

An ENS team which visited several areas of the constituency was told by local leaders of opposition parties that the Congress- I activists, who came to Nandyal from all parts of the state, gained “easy access” to the polling booths.

They have reduced the democratic process to a virtual farce” an opposition leader in Nandyal lamented, With the Telugu Desam Party, the main opposition in the state, leaving the field open for the prime minister by deciding not to contest against him, there was “little resistance” to the youths led by the Congress I leaders at the polling booths, it is stated.

Though polling began on a dull note with the general lack of interest among the electorate, more than 40% of the votes were cast by the afternoon. With virtually no queues at the booths till noon, the high Percentage of votes cast till then clearly indicated the unfair election practice of the Congress I, a BIP leader remarked.

The BJP floor leader in the state assembly Ch. Vidyasagar Rao, alleged that his party’s agents were forcibly sent out of the polling booths in the Panyam and Nandikotkur segments. Speaking to ENS, he said that groups of Congress I workers led by the local MLA resorted to large-scale rigging in these segments.

In fact, the only opposition to the smooth operation came from two Marxist-Leninist groups  the Unity Center for Communist Revolutionaries in India (UCCRIML)and the CPI(ML) of the Chandra Pull Reddy group, who have jointly fielded Mandla Subba Reddy.

The Atmakur MLA, Budda Venkgal eddy, was “caught by the Naxalite

Activists when he tried to take away ballot papers from the presiding officers from a booth in Velugode town with a view to stamping them in favor of the Congress I. The MLA was accompanied by his sons and followers.

The fact that the MLA barged into the polling booth and demanded ballot papers was confirmed by the presiding officer and the police, Mandla Subba Reddy, who was going round the booths, wanted to know how Vengal Reddy could enter the booth when he was not an agent.

Tension prevailed in Velugode town for some time when the Marxist Lenimst (M L) activists, carrying sticks, marched to some booths to prevent Vengal Reddy and company from casting votes on masse.

Accosted by newsmen when he was com ing out of one of the booths, Vengal Reddy said that mandla Subba Reddy should be grateful to him for being allowed to contest in the first place. When it was pointed out that Election Commission guidelines did not permit MLAs to enter booths, the Congress I member of the assembly shot back “In Rayalaseema, we have our own guidelines for conducting elections”.

In Ragadagudur village, also in Velugode Mandal, the local Congress I men reportedly cast a majority of the votes by noon, The MLL agents walked out of the polling booth in protest.

With the election to the Allagadda assembly seat being countermanded, there was no TDP agent present and youths were seen repeatedly casting votes at a booth located in the government junior college in Allagadda town, One of them even enquired from the ENS reporter whether he was willing to try his hand.

A Congress Leader from Hyderabad had stowed away a large contingent of youth in a go down for deploying them to polling stations during the final hours of the election. This very leader had played an equally active role during the last elections when G Pratap Reddy won the seat by an impressive margin.

In fact, many Congressmen unabashedly boasted of their “deeds” before newsmen. A Youth Congress I leader, who is the chairman of a government owned corporation had been going round the entire area with his ‘gang’ The election was a one way affair he assented. We have asked the BIP to cast as many votes as they can. If they do not have the will to do it, it is their Took out”, he remarked,

According to him, one Youth Congress-I worker who was pointed out to this correspondent “cast 50 votes”.

In Bathulur of the Allagadda assembly segment, villagers pointed out that none of those waiting in the venue belonged to the village.” The same people have been casting votes since morning”, a youth of the village complained.

In Pan Yam, the local Congress-I MLA, K Rambhupal Reddy, accompanied by two, lorry loads of workers allegedly resorted to rigging, When G. Kishen Reddy, ABJYM. Trader, who remained in the contest due to some technicalities, sought to capture the action on a video film, his camera was reportedly snatched away.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 22, 1991