Has former Telangana health minister Eatala Rajender, who is contesting the by-elections in Huzurabad assembly constituency, conceded defeat to the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi much before the completion of polling on Saturday?
It appears so, if one were go to by the comments Rajender made soon after the commencement of polling in the morning.
Though he received good response from the people for his road shows and meetings during the election campaign, it is said the ruling TRS turned the situation completely towards its side in the last three days.
Rajender alleged that the TRS sought to influence voters by pumping in hundreds of crores and flowing liquor in the last 48 hours before the polling.
“The police blatantly helped the TRS leaders in distributing money in a big way in the constituency,” he said.
He reminded that for the first time, the people hit the streets and staged dharnas saying that some of them had not got promised money by the TRS.
“It clearly shows the ruling party has totally buried the democratic spirit and sought to bribe the voters with money and liquor,” he alleged.
Rajender, who had sailed with the TRS for nearly two decades before being hounded out for raising a banner of revolt against the party leadership, said TRS president and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao was hell bent on not facing him (Rajender) in the assembly.
“The chief minister is using the entire official machinery to manipulate the election process and see that I do not get elected in the by-elections. He is going all out to defeat me,” the former minister said.
Rajender appealed to the people to vote as per their conscience and not under the influence of money and liquor.
“I am sure the people of Huzurabad still love me and do not fall prey to the tactics of the TRS,” he added.
