High Court dismisses pleas for cancellation of Tirupati byelection
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In their petitions, the BJP and TDP candidates alleged large-scale violations
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In their petitions, the BJP and TDP candidates alleged large-scale violations
A Division Bench of the Andhra Pradesh High Court, comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and M. Ganga Rao, on Friday dismissed the writ petitions filed by K. Ratna Prabha and Panabaka Lakshmi seeking cancellation of the byelection conducted to the Tirupati (SC) Lok Sabha constituency on April 17.
The court observed that as per Article 226 of the Constitution, it cannot interfere with the conclusion of the election process, and being the competent election tribunal for the purposes of deciding election disputes to Parliament and Assembly constituencies under the Representation of People (RP) Act, it can examine evidence like a civil court and come to a conclusion after trial.
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The Andhra Pradesh High Court has accepted a petition filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeking a repoll for the Tirupati (SC) Lok Sabha constituency, the elections for which were held on April 17.
The petitioner K. Ratna Prabha, who was the party’s candidate for the byelection, wanted the election be countermanded in view of ‘fraudulent polling’ and ‘booth capturing’.
In the petition, she wanted the respondent, represented by the Centre, the State and the Election Commission of India, to conduct repolling. Despite overwhelming proof of illegal activities and fake votes, it is shocking that the respondents did not take any steps to curb the illegal activities and chose to remain silent on the petitioner’s representations, Ms. Ratna Prabha observed in her petition.
Opposition shows ‘proof’ of impersonation
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Leaders ‘chase away’ fake voters at polling stations
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Leaders ‘chase away’ fake voters at polling stations
In the first two hours of polling, incidents of YSRCP activists allegedly accosting TDP and BJP booth agents were reported, which later subsided.
Accusing the election authorities of turning a blind eye to attempts of impersonation, the Opposition parties got down to action and started identifying suspicious voters in the queue lines and exposed them on camera by going live on social media. CWC member and Congress candidate Chinta Mohan accused the ruling party of having “imported” fake voters from neighbouring constituencies for impersonation. He identified a handful of such voters and seized ‘doctored’ EPIC cards from their possession.
The opposition parties, Telugu Desam, BJP and Congress on Saturday demanded that the bypoll to Tirupati(SC) Lok Sabha constituency be cancelled forthwith, alleging that the ruling YSR Congress instigated bogus voting on a large scale, particularly in the temple town Tirupati. The Election Commission has taken serious note of it and directed the Collectors of Chittoor and SPS Nellore districts to crack down on the bogus voters and ensure a fair poll, Chief Electoral Officer K Vijayanand said in a statement. State Director General of Police D G Sawang, however, claimed in a statement that the polling process was continuing in a peaceful atmosphere and everybody was exercising their franchise fearlessly .
Tirupati LS bypoll: Ruling YSR Congress in high stakes battle with BJP, TDP
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Last Updated: Apr 15, 2021, 02:02 PM IST
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Synopsis
What triggered this was the choice, of the ruling YSR Congress, of a political novice M Gurumurthy as its candidate, whose only credentials were that he accompanied the party chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy in his 3,600-km-long padayatra (foot march) in 2017-19 and tended to the latter as a physiotherapist.
PTI
Jagan Seva versus Jana Seva (service to Jagan versus service to people) has been the war cry in the campaign for the by-election to Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency in Andhra Pradesh, where the stakes have become high for all the main parties.