TDP approaches ECI, seeks revision of electoral rolls in Andhra Pradesh
Nov 21, 2023
New Delhi [India], November 21 : The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) on Tuesday submitted a representation to the Election Commission of India (ECI) in New Delhi, seeking revision of electoral rolls in the State of Andhra Pradesh.
A delegation of the TDP leaders, including Atchen Naidu, president of the state unit of the party, submitted a letter to the ECI mentioning that the District Election Officers (DEOs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are not following the ECI directions for preparing error-free electoral rolls.
"They are under political pressure from the ruling party, particularly the ministers and MLAs," the TDP leaders said in the letter. They made an appeal to the ECI to deploy Special Observers and also made an appeal for the constitution of a special task force and the removal of the Secretariat staff as Booth-Level Officers (BLOs).
The TDP leaders also mentioned the representation dated August 28, 2023, addressed to the ECI by the Leader of the Opposition in the State Assembly, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, which was personally submitted by him in his capacity as the TDP president and Leader of Opposition.
In the representation, Chandrababu Naidu had alleged political vendetta being perpetrated by the ruling YSRCP by misusing the official machinery of the state. He also mentioned the "ever-deteriorating" law and order situation in Andhra Pradesh.
In the representation, the TDP delegation said that due to threats and coercion from the ruling dispensation, the EROs have not processed lakhs of death cases, duplicate entries, or permanently migrated cases, and voters reported that they were not traceable after the door-to-door verification by the TDP.
On the other hand, they are forced to delete the names of genuine and surviving voters who are known sympathisers of the TDP, the letter to the ECI said.
The TDP leaders said that they sincerely hope and believe that the ECI understands the gravity of the situation in Andhra Pradesh and will take appropriate steps to save democracy in the state by using all the authority at its command as ordained by the Constitution of India.
