On the eve of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in the State, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party President N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday lodged a protest with the Chief Electoral Officer, Gopalakrishna Dwivedi, objecting to what he called “the unilateral decisions taken by the Election Commission on complaints lodged by the YSR Congress Party leaders.”
He met Dwivedi along with his party leaders to submit the complaint and then spoke to the media. “We have registered our objections in the letter, and orally explained our position very respectfully to the officer, and requested him to conduct the elections in a free, fair and impartial manner,” he said.
Naidu said there should be a level playing field and the Election Commission (EC) should not act in an arbitrary manner and take unilateral decisions. “Several IAS and IPS officers were transferred and relieved of election duties, based on false and frivolous complaints lodged by YSR Congress leaders. Even the Chief Secretary was transferred. The District Collector of Srikakulam was transferred even before the election code came into force. How can such actions be justified or defended? The autonomy of the institution comes into question if such actions are taken. Under PM Modi, the credibility of all institutions is eroded,” he said.
He also said a series of raids by the Income Tax Department officials in the State were going on at the houses and companies of Telugu Desam party leaders. “It is utterly undemocratic and against the guidelines of the Supreme Court. Such high-handedness has never been witnessed in the country before. Democracy is in danger. We have to save the nation, save democracy,” he said.
He said a letter was submitted by 66 highly-respected former bureaucrats to the President against EC’s style of functioning. “The Modi government is utterly unresponsive and undemocratic. I appeal to all democratic forces in the country to join hands and save our great State and the nation,” he said.