Congress candidates in Guntur and Prakasam districts had no problems with chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Jaganmohan Reddy
campaigning for them, but with the EC authorities breathing down their necks, they have virtually disowned him.
The election authorities in these two districts are gunning for the Congress candidates because, as per rules, the expenditure of only officially designated star campaigners of each party would go into the party’s account. In all other cases, it will go into the individual candidate’s account. Jagan does not figure in the list of star campaigners submitted by the Congress to the EC.
The Congress candidates are now in a dilemma because if Jagan’s election expenditure, including the cost of hiring the chopper which took him across the two districts, is added to the candidate’s expenditure, all of them exceed the limit prescribed by the EC.
Jagan had toured the districts on April 8 and 9 and visited as many as 10 assembly constituencies. After he campaigned, the local election authorities issued notices to the Congress candidates to foot the bill of his campaign and reflect them in their books.
But in an about turn, none of the candidates have owned up to Jagan campaigning for them. But this may not cut ice with the election officials as there is overwhelming evidence to prove that Jagan had campaigned for them.
The CM’s son first arrived at Kanigiri constituency in helicopter, reached Ongole by road and took off from Ongole the next day to reach Macherla in Guntur. He conducted roadshows from Macherla and reached Guntur in the night. He left Guntur in the chopper on the third day of his tour. Initially, Prakasam district collector K Devanand issued notices to Kanigiri Congress candidate M U Narasimha Reddy, Ongole assembly candidate B Srinivasa Reddy and Ongole LS candidate Magunta Srinivasula Reddy seeking explanation for not showing the helicopter costs in their expenditure records.
While the assembly candidates replied that they would account for only the roadshow costs, Ongole MP Magunta went to the extent of saying that Jagan had not ‘campaigned’ on his behalf. Similarly, Macherla Congress candidate P Ramakrishna Reddy replied that the permission for Jagan’s tour was not taken by him and hence his tour costs shall not be included in his accounts book.
Sources said the permission for Jagan’s tour was taken by the respective district Congress committees in both the districts. In such case, the chopper costs would be divided among all the contesting candidates in the district, said a senior official. He, however, said they would wait for the advice of the Election Commission in this regard
campaigning for them, but with the EC authorities breathing down their necks, they have virtually disowned him.
The election authorities in these two districts are gunning for the Congress candidates because, as per rules, the expenditure of only officially designated star campaigners of each party would go into the party’s account. In all other cases, it will go into the individual candidate’s account. Jagan does not figure in the list of star campaigners submitted by the Congress to the EC.
The Congress candidates are now in a dilemma because if Jagan’s election expenditure, including the cost of hiring the chopper which took him across the two districts, is added to the candidate’s expenditure, all of them exceed the limit prescribed by the EC.
Jagan had toured the districts on April 8 and 9 and visited as many as 10 assembly constituencies. After he campaigned, the local election authorities issued notices to the Congress candidates to foot the bill of his campaign and reflect them in their books.
But in an about turn, none of the candidates have owned up to Jagan campaigning for them. But this may not cut ice with the election officials as there is overwhelming evidence to prove that Jagan had campaigned for them.
The CM’s son first arrived at Kanigiri constituency in helicopter, reached Ongole by road and took off from Ongole the next day to reach Macherla in Guntur. He conducted roadshows from Macherla and reached Guntur in the night. He left Guntur in the chopper on the third day of his tour. Initially, Prakasam district collector K Devanand issued notices to Kanigiri Congress candidate M U Narasimha Reddy, Ongole assembly candidate B Srinivasa Reddy and Ongole LS candidate Magunta Srinivasula Reddy seeking explanation for not showing the helicopter costs in their expenditure records.
While the assembly candidates replied that they would account for only the roadshow costs, Ongole MP Magunta went to the extent of saying that Jagan had not ‘campaigned’ on his behalf. Similarly, Macherla Congress candidate P Ramakrishna Reddy replied that the permission for Jagan’s tour was not taken by him and hence his tour costs shall not be included in his accounts book.
Sources said the permission for Jagan’s tour was taken by the respective district Congress committees in both the districts. In such case, the chopper costs would be divided among all the contesting candidates in the district, said a senior official. He, however, said they would wait for the advice of the Election Commission in this regard
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