TDP scares voters

Nandyal, Aug 18: Fearing defeat in the by-poll TDP is unleashing false propaganda by spreading fear psychosis among the voters stating that every vote cast by EVMs will be recorded and the details can be known through VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) system attached to polling boxes.

‘This is nothing but conceding defeat on one hand and deliberately trying to terrorise people of a probable backlash after the results stating that there will be records of who had voted and to whom through the tracking system, but it is false propaganda as the VVPAT is aimed at showing the voter that the vote is cast. This was done after political parties had complained the existing of faulty EVMs,’ party MLA Buggana Rajendranath Reddy told reporters here on Friday.

The VVPATs are machines attached to EVMs and through a window the voter can see the symbol and name of the party and candidate he or she intends to vote and this cannot go public as the slip coming out after the beep is not accessible to the party leaders, he said.

TDP is unleashing this cheap trick to terrorise the public and to create a scare among them to vote against the ruling party but the fact remains that the vote remains a secret and the details cannot be obtained by political parties, he said.

 YSR Congress had already petitioned with the Election Commission well in advance that TDP will stoop to any level in the Nandyal by-poll and the fears are coming true, he said. TDP has been threatening that ration cards, pensions, houses and all welfare schemes would be given based on the VVPAT slips and this sort of propaganda has no rationale.

 Chandrababu Naidu’s remark that he can buy votes paying Rs 5,000 and film star MLA Balakrishna slapping a person in the full glare of media are deliberate attempts to show to the people that they are above law and can do anything they want.

 The Chief Minister’s speech of those who cannot use the public utilities if they do not vote for TDP shows the arrogance and we have complained to the Election Commission of the intent of the TDP much earlier he said and appealed to the voters that voting is secret and sacred and no one will know to whom one has voted.