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.