Parties spent Rs 10,000 crore for polls, says JC Diwakar Reddy

VIJAYAWADA: Anantapur MP and TD leader J.C. Diwakar Reddy has made sensational remarks that irrespective of political party, all the candidates who are in fray for Assembly and Lok Sabha segments, in the just concluded polls, spent Rs 50 crore per constituency. Diwakar Reddy’s son Pawan Reddy is in fray for Anantapur Lok Sabha seat.

Talking to mediapersons here on Monday, before going to attend a meeting called by TD supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu, the Anantapur MP lamented that elections these days have become a costly affair and voters have become greedy.

He said that across the state, all the political parties had spent Rs 10,000 crore in the April 11 polls. He added that in all the constituencies, voters have been approaching the candidates, demanding money.

“If a candidate offers Rs 2,000 per vote, the voter will go to another candidate and ask if he would give them Rs 2,500. In some cases, the price has gone as high as Rs 5,000 per vote. All the parties had spent at least Rs 50 crore in a constituency. Where does this money come from? It is all corrupt money. In all constituencies, all parties had spent at least Rs 10,000 crore. There should be an end to this money spending. Somebody should put a full stop. When I was first elected as Samithi president, I spent Rs 1 lakh and then when I first became an MLA, I spent Rs 7 lakh that went to Rs 25 lakh next time and from then on, it has been going up and up,” Mr Diwakar Reddy said.