Election Watch demands closure of liquor shops around polling time

30 April, 2012

Stating that in recent times muscle power is being replaced by money power in elections, speakers at a meeting in Hyderabad lamented that corrupt politicians are spending Rs 5 to 10 crores on election campaigning - to loot the public money later.

THE ELECTION Watch- Andhra Pradesh has demanded the Election Commission and Government of Andhra Pradesh to close all liquor shops in 12 districts, where by-elections to 18 Assembly constituencies and 1 Lok Sabha seat are scheduled to be held in mid-June. The meeting held in Hyderabad on Sunday with representatives from those 12 districts decided to submit a memorandum in this regard to the Election Commission and also Chief Minister.

The meeting also appealed to all political parties, who are fielding their candidates in the by-elections to restrain from using liquor and money to lure voters. It has decided to form vigilance committees in all the constituencies, which are going to have by-polls. Former Chief Justice of Allahabad High Court and President of the Election Watch Justice Ambati Lakshmana Rao presided over the meeting.

The constituency-level committees would monitor implementation of the election code and expose if there are any violations by the political parties, candidates or even by the officials, who are on election duty. The meeting deplored that political activists fear to contest in the elections due to abnormal increase in election expenditure.

The Election Watch has also decided to work in association with Foundation for Advanced Management of Elections, started by former Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh and Former Advisor of the Election Commission of India K J Rao, to guard against poll code violations.

Justice Lakshmana Rao urged the voters not to sell away their valuable votes for currency notes of liquor packets. Stating that in recent time muscle power is being replaced by money power in elections, he lamented that corrupt politicians are spending Rs 5 to 10 crores for election campaign so that they can later loot the public money.

Former Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh K Madhava Rao, Prof K Chinnaiah Suri from University of Hyderabad, Forum for Good Governance Secretary M Padmanabha Reddy, APSA Director S Srinivas Reddy, COVA Director Mazoor Hussain and others also spoke on the occasion.