Volunteers processing MLC voter forms of YSRCP supporters only

Ongole (Prakasam District): The State government is abusing the services of the volunteers by withholding the graduate vote applications from the sympathisers of other parties, but only processing Form-18 submitted by YSRCP supporters, to win graduate MLC elections to be scheduled soon, alleged BJP leader and MLC Vakati Narayana Reddy. He attended as a chief guest at the preparatory meeting for the registration of graduate voters for East Rayalaseema MLC constituency at Andhra Kesari Vidya Kendram in Ongole on Sunday.

Later speaking to the press, BJP in-charge of MLC elections Vakati Narayana Reddy said that though the due date for the graduate voter registration is approaching soon, many of the graduates do not know that they have to register vote afresh as most of the eligible voters in the erstwhile Chittoor, Nellore and Prakasam district are under the impression that the votes registered earlier is enough for the coming graduate MLC elections. He said that if any graduate requests BJP leaders, they are ready to help in the application process. The MLC alleged that the volunteers appointed by the YSRCP government for the MLC election process are collecting applications from eligible voters and are not sending the forms for verification if they suspect the voter may not vote for the YSRCP-supported candidate.

Narayana Reddy alleged that though the Election Commission and the local Collectors have banned volunteers from involving in voter registration process, the YSRCP is still using them, which is afraid of losing the election. He said that about 1.15 lakh graduates have been registered for the vote in the East Rayalaseema MLC constituency and advised the employees in other locations to register for their vote through the website and franchise it on election day.

Coming down heavily on Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and YSRCP leaders, Narayana Reddy said that the government failed to release match grants to the development programmes, for which the Union government already sanctioned funds. He informed that the Narendra Modi government has sanctioned Rs 76,000 crores for the development of Prakasam district, but the Jagan government failed to utilise them. He pointed out that the YSRCP government, which is struggling to pay the salaries of the staff, has no money to complete Veligonda project, supply tap water to fluoride-affected areas, acquire land for the helicopter maintenance project or air force strategic base at Donakonda and even for the Amaravati Anantapur highway.

BJP district president Sirasangandla Srinivasulu said that they have collected the details of 470 plus volunteers, who collected proofs and documents from the eligible voters but didn't process their urges yet. He said they are going to complain to the District Collector on Monday and write to the State and Central Election Commissions seeking action against the volunteers influencing voters' registration process.

BJP AP general secretary VAVS Suryanarayana Raju, Ongole district vice-presidents PV Sivareddy and Nagendra Yadav, general secretary YV Gowtham Ashok and other senior leaders participated in the programme.