Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee has written to the Chief Election Commissioner Syed Nasim Ahmad Zaidi, urging him not to grant permission to the ruling TRS to conduct its plenary on April 27 at Khammam in order to ensure a free and fair bypoll for 113-Palair Assembly segment, a seat that fell vacant with the death of Congress MLA Ramreddy Venkat Reddy.
TPCC official spokespersons B. Kamalaker Rao and G. Niranjan pointed out that with the announcement of the bypoll schedule being issued on April 19, the model code of conduct had come into effect. Hence, they pointed out that no party could take undue advantage and try to influence voters on one pretext or the other. In another letter to the CEC, the Congress leaders urged him to ensure that electronic voting machines with paper trails (VVPATs) were used in the bypoll and wanted him to issue directions to the concerned officials.
Accusing the TRS Government of neglecting drought-hit people in the State, TPCC president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy slammed it for improper implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in drought affected areas.
