Election expenditure put at Rs 100 crore in the Khammam Municipal Corporations

Khammam: The election expenditure of various political parties in the Khammam Municipal Corporations has touched an estimated Rs 100 crore. TRS candidates are said to be spending Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh in each division, while other parties are spending Rs 20 lakh.

A section of voters that is habituated to getting money during elections believes that it is their right. Some voters staged a protest in front of a house belonging to a political leader as he did not distribute money to them.

Local voter N. Manemma alleged that the leader distributed money to the people of other neighbourhoods, but not to them. Under pressure, political parties have started fearing that the practice of giving money to voters would become a milestone around their neck.

Sattupalli MLA Sandra Venkata Veeraiah said, “Voters expect money from candidates after the candidates distributed Rs 2,000 to each voter in various wards.” He said that the situation has forced the other parties to follow suit.

TD, Congress and YSRC candidates are putting a lot of pressure on party leaders for cash to beat the cut-throat competition. A Congress candidate, who withdrew from the fray, demanded Rs 40 lakh from the MLA to stay in the contest.

Likewise, a YSRC candidate put pressure on party chief P. Srinivasa Reddy to give Rs 38 lakh to distribute Rs 4,000 each voter.