Election Chief rebukes KCR’s Early Telangana Poll Move

The Election Commission has expressed displeasure over Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s party pushing for early assembly elections in the state. Mr Rao said that the Telangana assembly would be dissolved eight months before schedule to clear the way for early polls.

Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat was quoted in a report by NDTV saying, “KCR’s comments on elections are preposterous and uncalled for. We are mandated by the Supreme Court to conduct elections at the earliest possible and there should be no delay. We shouldn’t allow a caretaker government to take the opportunity of delaying elections.”

The actual time for holding the elections would be June 2019 but KCR reportedly wanted to ensure that the focus during the state polls is on his role and his government’s achievements, rather than on PM Modi or on the Congress.

Firstpost quoted the state Congress president saying, “Tremendous public response to the recent visit of Congress president Rahul Gandhi to Hyderabad had sent shockwaves among TRS leaders. With the Congress party gaining strength organisationally across the state, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has already sensed a humiliating defeat in the next polls.As a last attempt to protect his party from the rising Congress wave, the chief Minister is going for early polls.”

Also read: Telangana: Cabinet passes resolution to dissolve assembly, CM rushes to inform Governor