BJP activists attack Jagtial district chief over cross-voting row

BJP activists in Metpally attacked district president Dr Yadagiri Babu after delayed whip allegedly caused cross-voting, allowing Congress to clinch chairman post in municipal elections

Jagtial: Enraged BJP activists on Monday attacked their party district president Dr Yadagiri Babu accusing him of facilitating cross-voting by delaying the issue of the party whip during the election for the posts of chairman and vice-chairman of Metpally Municipal Corporation.

A group of party workers entered into heated arguments with the district president and grilled him on reasons for delaying in the issue of the whip. As the argument turned serious, some of them dragged him by the collar.

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Though he tried to escape, they caught hold of him and argued. Later, his family members took him inside the home. Angry BJP cadre then ransacked the district president’s house and damaged furniture. Police rushed to the scene to restore order and have taken some assailants into custody.

Though the party won the highest number of wards in Metpally municipality, it failed to bag the chairman post after one of the BJP councillors voted in favor of the Congress party nominee.

They alleged that the cross voting took place in view of the delay in issuing a whip by the district president. Though the whip should have been issued 24 hours before (on Sunday 11 am), the president issued it at 5 pm. So, the whip became invalid, they alleged. Out of 26 wards, BJP had won 10, Congress 6, BRS 6 and Independents 4. Congress strength became equivalent to BJP as four independents joined with the ruling party.

Participating in the voting, three parties BJP, BRS and Congress proposed their candidates for chairman and vice chairman posts. The strength of the congress scaled up to eleven as 18th ward BJP councilor Cherlapalli Meena exercised her vote in favor of the ruling party candidates. So, congress candidate Mailarapu Limbadri was elected as chairman and Onkar Naveen as vice-chairman.

Enraged over the incident, BJP activists attacked the district president.