Says erstwhile Chandrababu Naidu govt added fake votes and deleted YSRCP supporters’ names from voters’ list.
PNS|Vijayawada
YSRCP general secretary and State government Advisor on Public Affairs, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, spoke out against the alleged manipulation of votes by the opposition TDP party, emphasising the YSRC government’s commitment to securing votes through genuine welfare and development initiatives rather than relying on fraudulent practices.
At a press conference held on Thursday, Sajjala accused the TDP of engaging in voter manipulation, including the addition of fake votes and the removal of votes belonging to YSRC activists. He highlighted ongoing efforts by the TDP to include the names of eligible voters on electoral lists.
Sajjala clarified that the Election Commission had not objected to the removal of fraudulent voters in Uravakonda but had raised concerns about procedural issues, dismissing TDP’s allegations.
He revealed that during the tenure of the previous chief minister, N Chandrababu Naidu, approximately 50 lakh votes were removed from the electoral list between 2015 and 2017 when the TDP held power. He pointed out that the number of registered voters decreased from 3.68 crore before the 2014 elections to 3.51 crore by 2018.
The YSRCP general secretary expressed concern over irregularities in the voter lists under the TDP government’s supervision, especially when a significant number of votes seemed to have disappeared overnight. He mentioned that the YSRC had actively fought to address these issues from 2018 to 2019, countering Chandrababu’s alleged conspiracy.
Furthermore, Sajjala revealed that a comprehensive examination of the voter lists had uncovered approximately 60 lakh fake or bogus votes, including instances of double voting and the inclusion of fictitious voters throughout the state. He disclosed that orders had been issued to conduct a thorough field-level investigation to confirm the veracity of these allegations.
Highlighting the YSRC’s role in exposing the TDP Seva Mitra app conspiracy, Sajjala emphasized that they had promptly alerted the National Election Commission to this fraudulent scheme. As a result of their legal efforts, 31.97 lakh votes were successfully added to the voter lists by 2019, bringing the total number of legitimate voters to 3.98 crores. As of 2023, the voter list stands at 3.97 crores. Sajjala asserted that all evidence related to voter removal was securely stored with the Election Commission.
He alleged that the TDP had granted official permission to a private company named BlueFrog to manage government data during Chandrababu Naidu’s tenure. He claimed that a dubious partnership between BlueFrog and IT Grids had led to the creation of the Seva Mitra app, which was used to manipulate votes during the TDP regime.
He noted that ongoing police investigations were uncovering the extent of IT Grid Ashok’s involvement in acquiring government data, separating it by political affiliation, and linking it to TDP booth conveners. He presented photographic evidence of discussions between Ashok and Chandrababu Naidu to the media.
