Peddireddi alleges Chandrababu Naidu-SEC plot to defame YSRCP
Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy addressing the media in Tirupati
Panchayat raj and rural development minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy alleged that State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar is acting under the directions of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu with political motives.
Tirupati: Panchayat raj and rural development minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy alleged that State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar is acting under the directions of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu with political motives.
Addressing the media here on Wednesday, the minister came down heavily against SEC for making 'false allegations' against the YSRCP government. "But our government and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy are extending all the support to the SEC. The SEC along with Naidu is trying to foil unanimous elections, which is an age-old practice supported and encouraged by state governments across the nation," he said.
The minister accused Chandrababu Naidu, SEC Ramesh Kumar and others of 'ganging up to sabotage the democratic process' in local body elections. "Moreover, he (SEC) wrote a 9-page letter to the chief secretary with personal motives seeking disciplinary action against Gopal Krishnan Dwivedi and one more IAS officer. Both officers are working efficiently in the panchayat raj department but the SEC made unnecessary recommendations for action against them. Our chief secretary has decided to send back an letter to his office," he said.
Further, he asserted that the government would not take action against them in future and revoke any action that would be taken, after local body polls. "We will never support such retired IAS officers as Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar. The government will support good IAS officers who are presently working in the state," he said.
He dared the TDP president to predict how many panchayats would his party win in the coming local body polls. He criticised other opposition parties for making baseless allegations against the YSRCP over panchayat polls. He said these parties were blaming the ruling party since they did not even have cadres to file nominations in villages.
Continuing his personal attack on the SEC, Ramachandra Reddy predicted that he would join TDP after his retirement and was acting in a biased manner only to be in the good books of Naidu.
YSRCP leaders Virupaksha Jayachandra Reddy, minority leader Qadri and Pokala Ashok Kumar took part in the preconference.
