Gram panchayat candidates including transgender woman, threatened, forced to withdraw nominations in Asifabad

Multiple gram panchayat candidates in Asifabad district have reported intimidation ahead of local body polls. A transgender contestant alleged death threats and police harassment, while others faced letters invoking Maoists and crop arson, prompting demands for strict action.

Kumram Bheem Asifabad: In a worrisome trend ahead of the local body elections, several candidates in the district are reportedly facing threats from unidentified persons, forcing them to withdraw from the contest.

In the latest incident, a transgender contestant, Sadhana, was allegedly threatened with death by her opponent if she did not quit the fray in Marlavai village of Jainoor mandal. She had earlier been pressured to withdraw her nomination. On Monday, she lodged a complaint with Collector Venkatesh Dothre and SP Nitika Pant in Asifabad, seeking action against the culprits and police protection. She narrated the harassment meted out to her by her opponents.

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In her complaint, Sadhana said her rivals were unable to accept the overwhelming support she was getting during her campaign. She alleged that her posters were being torn and that she was receiving threatening phone calls. She claimed to have gathered evidence to support her charges, and further alleged that the Jainoor SI abused her when she approached him with her grievances.

In another case reported on Sunday, an unknown person handed over a letter to a relative of Jadi Darshana, a candidate from Ranavelli panchayat in Chintalamanepalli mandal, ordering her to withdraw her nomination. The man allegedly threatened to shoot the relative if the warning was ignored and introduced himself as a member of the banned Maoist party.

Meanwhile, unidentified persons set fire to a paddy crop belonging to Dharavath Mahesh, a BRS candidate from Marthidi village in Bejjur mandal, on Saturday. They torched heaps of the recently harvested crop spread over two acres. BRS leader Dr RS Praveen Kumar condemned the incident and demanded stern action against the culprits.

Locals said such intimidation had never been witnessed before in the district’s political atmosphere. They urged police to register cases and take strict measures to curb the menace.