Voters urged to be cautious on politicos' promises

Liquor and money a major hindrance for free and fair polls: Election Watch

Hyderabad: Resolving to curb the reach of money and muscle power and the influence of liquor on electorates in the ensuing local body elections, 'Election Watch', a non-governmental organisation has decided to set up toll-free call centres in all the district head quarters and at the state level to receive complaints on the irregularities committed by political parties to woo the voters and also inform people the 'corrupt' practices adopted by contestants.

A round table meeting on 'local body polls-irregularities' was conducted by the Election Watch and was attended by several voluntary organisations here on Sunday. Participating in the meeting, State president Justice Ambati Laxman Rao urged people to be cautious and not to fall prey to false promises made by the parties. Money and liquor supply to voters was the main hindrance for the conduct of free and fair election, he added.

Expressing serious concern over the increasing 'capitalisation' of politics, he exhorted voters to elect honest people in the fray. He also demanded the Election Commission to prepare an error-free voter list to ensure that every person exercises his franchise.

'Election Watch' state convener V Laxman Reddy observed that the whole society will be caught in the web of corruption if a corrupt leader was elected in the poll. To prevent money power from altering the election, the association will submit a memorandum to State Election Commission demanding them to conduct direct election for the post of Panchayat Sarpanchs, Municipalities and Zilla Parishad Chairmen.

Osmania University Vice Chancellor T Tirupathi Rao said that the need of the hour is to change the political parties and their ideologies. He urged voters to elect people with a 'clean chit' image so that corruption can be prevented in the functioning of local bodies.

Pragna Bharathi president T Hanuman Chaudhary demanded the constitution of a regulatory authority to regulate the affairs of all political parties in the country. He called all the civil society organisations to join hands with Election Watch in the fight against evil practices in the election.