KAKINADA: The Election Commission has denied permission to the Telugu Desam to conduct a road show with Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan in Kakinada city on Saturday.
EC cited the reason that permission has already been given to ruling party MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy, to hold his campaign there.
The election returning officer told TD candidate Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao (Kondababu) that the police have not given the NOC for the TD road show.
Kakinada DSP, K. Hanumantha Rao, said YSRC candidate Dwarampudi Chandrasekhara Reddy has applied for permission to conduct a road-show in the city on May 11, through proper channel on April 4. No application was received by the department from others, and hence the department gave its NOC to the returning officer. The returning officer should take a decision on it.
Telugu Desam candidate Kondababu has said he had applied for the permission on May 8, but the officials told him that they have given permission to the ruling party candidate to conduct the road-show throughout Kakinada city.
“I asked the officials to give permission to us to hold the road show through at least one main street. But, the officials denied us the permission.”
He approached the special IPS officer, camping in Kakinada, and explained the situation. The IPS officer asked the EC how it gave permission to only one candidate to cover the entire city. “As per the advice of the special IPS officer, I would approach the district collector and the district election officer for the permission.”
Meanwhile, according to sources, the police department wrote to the election officials that if Pawan Kalyan attended the road show, there may be law and order problems in the city, as the YSRC candidate has already got the permission based on first-come-first served basis’.
A majority of the security and police personnel have been deployed to Pithapuram constituency, officials said.
