Big parties even paid `6K for a vote in polls

The maiden elections to the Telangana Legislative Assembly have been a money guzzler with an unprecedented growth in campaign expenditure.

It is an open secret that each of the candidates of the Congress, Telangana Rashtra Samiti and the Telugu Desam has spent more that `20 crore for the campaign.

This is a flagrant violation of the Election Commission of India rules that allows `28 lakh per candidate for campaign expenses. Candidates spend much than is officially allowed and what they declare they have spent. The Congress, TD and the TRS have spent huge amounts of money to buy votes and bribe voters with free liquor.

Privately party leaders admit that candidates have distributed money to voters prior to polling day, particularly in rural areas and slums of the Hyderabad city. The amounts allegedly range from `500 to `3,000 for each vote, going up to `6,000 for each vote in

some pockets of the state.

In some parts of the state contestants have managed to buy votes community wise by bribing community leaders.

To compete with rivals, many contestants have sold their ancestral properties, sources in the TRS, Congress and the TD admit in private conversations.

Party leaders say that each of the contestants in the important constituencies of Nalgonda, Munugodu, Bhongir, Miryalguda, Huzurnagar, Kodangal, Medchal, Qutubullahpur, Sanathnagar, Kukatpally, Seri

lingampally, Malkajgiri, Maheswaram, Uppal, LB Nagar, Alair, Rajendranagar, Nagarkurnool, Achampet, Kollapur, Kalwakurthy, and Khammam, have spent more than `20 crore each.

They say that even in the Chief Minister’s constituency and those of sitting ministers, campaign expenditure soared to crores of rupees. They said that the sops they distribute to voters cost three to four times more than what they spend on day-to-day activities.

The sale of electronic and domestic appliances has gone up in the district after the end of the elections, thanks to the money that was allegedly paid to voters by political parties. Some people are even buying jewellery. The more popular items are television sets, refrigerators, cellphones, water heaters and water purifiers.

Ms K, Neeraja, who stays in her maternal home with her children, said, “I got `20,000 from two parties for five voters. My father decided to buy a television set.”

Kaman Bazaar, where most of the popular domestic appliances shops are located, witnessed a rush on Saturday. Cloth shops were also busy with scores of customers.

Mr A. Naresh, who runs a shop selling domestic appliances, said, “We usually have good business after the elections. We saw this kind of business after the Khammam Municipal Corporation elections 20

months back.” He guesstimated that about `300 crore were spent by candidates on the elections in the 10 Assembly seats in Bhadradri and Khammam districts.

In Khammam, the candidates reportedly spent `70

crore on the elections, which included the campaign cost and the money distributed to voters. Many voters were given `2,000 each and a party candidate distributed money to 1.5 lakh voters. In some places, independents too competed with the main parties.

At Wyra, Mr N. Sunder, a political analyst, said, “Many voters considered the elections as a festival that comes once in five years. The argument of the voters is that the money spent by candidates came from fraudulent methods and was not hard earned money. The elections forced the candidates to spend the money earned by unethical means.”

The illegal expenditure on elections even in scheduled tribe constituencies such as Yellandu, Bhadrachalam and Pinapaka touched `20 crore. Madhira, which recorded the highest voting percentage in the state, was stated another constituency where money flowed like water.

Most voters were not trying to save the money coming from the candidates. Mr C. Prasad, a teacher in a private school, said that many of the voters felt that the money was extra income which they could use to purchase things they wanted.