The ruling Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh has courted controversy by distributing Tirupati Laddus to voters during the panchayat election campaign in Tirupati.
Panchayat elections are being held in Andhra Pradesh where the YSRCP , led by Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy, is in power. Here, for the past one month, panchayat elections are being held in several phases.
Usually, political parties resort to induce voters through cash, liquor and biryani during their campaigns. However, in Thondavada, near Tirupati, people were given Tirupati laddus along with voter slips of the YSRCP thereby insisting them to vote for the party. Around seven lakh laddus has reportedly been distributed asking the people to vote for the YSRCP.
Videos have surfaced on social media in which persons can be seen distributing the laddus to voters. It has been alleged that the YSRCP is using the newly-launched PDS door-delivery vehicles in Thondawada panchayat to distribute the laddus among voters.
Nara Lokesh, the son of Telugu Desam Party’s chief Chandra Babu Naidu called for the disqualification of the candidate and registration of a case for hurting religious sentiments. The BJP too condemned the YSRCP.
చంద్రగిరి నియోజ‌క‌వ‌ర్గం తొండవాడ పంచాయ‌తీలో వైసీపీ నేత‌లు ప‌ర‌మ‌ప‌విత్ర‌మైన శ్రీవారి ల‌డ్డూల‌ను ఓట్ల స్లిప్పుల‌తో క‌లిసి పంచుతూ స్వామివారికి మ‌హాప‌చారం త‌ల‌పెట్టారు. @ysjaganకి,వైసీపీనేత‌ల‌కు ఎన్నిక‌ల‌పైనే కానీ, ఏడుకొండ‌ల‌వాడిపై భ‌క్తిలేదు.(1/5) pic.twitter.com/EHwlwXFy6u
— Lokesh Nara (@naralokesh) February 19, 2021
BJP leader Vishnuvardhan Reddy said in a tweet “Is there anything more shameful than this? The TTD should immediately register a case on the matter and we demand the State Election Commission to take immediate action.”
చిత్తూరు జిల్లా,చంద్రగిరి అసెంబ్లీ, తొండవాడ పంచాయతీ పరిధిలో అధికార వైఎస్ఆర్సిపి @YSRCParty కలియుగ దైవం శ్రీ వెంకటేశ్వరస్వామి వారి తిరుమల లడ్డూలు, అందులోను రాష్ట్ర ప్రభుత్వం బియ్యం పంపిణీ చేసే (నిత్యఅవసర సరుకుల)రవాణా చేసె వాహనాల్లో పంపిణీ చేసి ఓటర్లను ప్రలోభపెట్టి ,దేవుడిని (1/2) pic.twitter.com/NoPxGVx7SJ
— S. Vishnu Vardhan Reddy (@SVishnuReddy) February 20, 2021
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