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It has been reported that A.P elections were the most expensive election ever in the media. approximately 2000 crores spent 

the following story reports that 32 crores spent in one constituency (out of 294)  by the  3 candidates belonging to the major parties.  If each of them had spent a fraction of that money,  the entire voting population would have gotten drinking water, sanitation at the very least..

read on..

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Vijayawada: Scene-I: People at Ramnagar in Chirala constituency did not cast their vote till 4.30 pm on the polling day on April 23 in protest against non-disbursement of cash by the candidates. Realising that polling would be over even if they did not turn up to exercise their franchise, few women went to the polling booth and smashed the EVMs only to invite re-polling and three full days of time to bargain.

Scene-II: Voters at a slum in Guntur took Rs 500 per vote from two candidates and still did not move to the polling booth. For, they were angry with the third candidate who, they believe, had disbursed cash in their neighbouring colony but did not turn up at their ward.

Scene-III: A Congress activist argued with the party leaders at New Rajarajeswaripet in Vijayawada for ‘insulting’ him by not giving cash for his vote. When the leaders told him that he as a party activist should feel ashamed to take the money, the activist retorted saying that his rating among the locals would come down if he was not rewarded.

Scene-IV: People staged a dharna in front of a local cable TV office in Ongole along with the slips (worth Rs 2 crore) issued by the poll managers of PRP candidate P Anand demanding the disbursement of cash. They argued that they were told that they would be given the amount on producing the slips after casting the vote. Anand is a majority stake holder in the cable TV network and said to have distributed the amount subsequent to the protests.

These are only a few of many such instances that took place during the elections. In fact, Election-2009 has not only increased the volume of spending by the candidates, it has also sowed seeds of a dangerous trend where voters are demanding bribe to exercise their franchise. In clear contrast from the past, people have not hesitated to accept the bribes offered by the candidates, but also insisted for on-the-spot payments.

“I am shocked to see the trend in the city. I have never come across such instances in my two-decade long political life,” admitted transport minister Kanna Lakshminaryana, who shifted to Guntur city from the rural Pedakurapadu segment. Though the minister was not ready to divulge the amount he spent on the election, he blamed the media for the trend.

“If people really insist for instant rewards, who will going to work for their problems in future,” he sought to know. The poll watchdog ‘Election Watch’ has put the Guntur (West), where the minister contested, as the second-highest election expenditure constituency. It stated that PRP candidate Tulasi Ramachandra Prabhu spent a whopping Rs 14 crore, TDP nominee Chukkapalli Ramesh Rs 12 crore and minister Lakshminarayana ‘ Rs 6 crore.

Expressing concern over the matter, senior TDP leader in Prakasam district Karanam Balaram has said he would not contest any direct election in future. Balaram, who is a contemporary of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, analysed that only businessmen could contest the elections in future.

“Unfortunately, people are not worried about the work and accessibility of the candidates. If the amount paid on the eve of the polling is the only criteria to vote, I am not going to contest,” Balaram said.

Courtesy: TimesOfIndia