Row over unspent poll funds in Adilabad

ADILABAD: As the dust of the polling process is yet to settle down, senior leaders of major political parties are incensed that the second rung leaders have failed to distribute the ‘election money’ in full to the voters. Senior leaders insist that whatever is left of this money be returned to them immediately or this could be raised against the errant ones while party tickets are released for the local body elections.

In several areas, either the money was not distributed or lesser amounts were given to the voters. District-level leaders of the Congress, BJP and BRS are trying to get feedback on the polling trends and the distribution of the money meant for voters.

Senior leaders are worried that the local leaders pocketed at least a part of the funds they were given for election-related works and for canvassing votes. Now many leaders are getting phone calls from their district leaders, who were the in-charges for the assembly constituencies, to return the election money. It is learnt that some leaders are responding and others are not, to such phone calls. A senior BJP leader said, “Elections lo Ichina Paisalu Godaku Kottina Sunnam Tho Samanam.. Avi thirigi Ravu (The money given in the election will not come back like a whitewash to the walls).

A Congress leader of Ankoli village in Adilabad mandal said a few leaders in the village received phone calls from the Adilabad assembly constituency leader, asking them to return the unspent election money.

The Congress leader said it was a strategy of the senior leaders to see that the errant village level leaders do not shift their loyalties to other parties just after the results of the Lok Sabha elections are out.