TDP sees 'unethical practices', seeks deferment of MLC polls

HYDERABAD: Crying foul over ruling TRS's alleged "unethical politics", opposition TDP sought postponement of the legislative council polls in Telangana even as the exercise got underway this morning at the Assembly premises.

TDP has written to both the Chief Election Commissioner and the state's Chief Electoral Officer in this matter and also sought the Governor's intervention to "restore democracy in Telangana".

"The politics being practised by Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao is disgraceful. Over the last few months, he has been following the most unethical practice of luring MLAs and public representatives elected on other political party tickets to join TRS by offering them money or threatening them with illegal methods like tapping phones and snooping on them," Telangana TDP chief L Ramana alleges in the letter today, which has been signed by the party's state MLAs and MPs.

The party claimed that the arrest of its MLA A Revanth Reddy yesterday on charges that he had tried to bribe a nominated MLA is "a false case aimed at defaming the party".

"In such circumstances of gross misuse of official machinery by the Telangana government there is an urgent need to postpone MLC elections scheduled in Telangana on June 1. First normalcy has to be restored and only then the elections should be conducted," demanded TDP.

Meanwhile, voting for the MLC elections began on the Telangana Legislative Assembly premises this morning with the counting of the MLAs' votes to be taken up this evening.

Seven candidates are in the fray for six vacant seats in the legislative council.