Former minister and Jana Sena leader Balineni Srinivasa Reddy received a huge jolt in the High Court today. He had filed a petition challenging the decisions of the Election Commission over alleged electoral irregularities that took place in Ongole. Today, the court dismissed the petition. Balineni said that many irregularities took place in the last general elections at Ongole and now the Election Commission is inquiring into those allegations.
Balineni, a candidate of YSR Congress Party, who lost in the recently concluded Assembly polls, has now claimed that EVMs malfunctioned, leading to his defeat at the polls, and has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission. He alleged there had been discrepancies at 12 polling stations in Ongole, which he said led to the irregularities.
Balineni had gone to the High Court as he was not satisfied with the way the Election Commission was dealing with his complaint. The High Court had already concluded its inquiry and reserved its judgment on the case. Today, it pronounced judgment against Balineni, holding that the further probe into the EVM tampering issue was the prerogative of the Election Commission. EC had conducted a mock poll at Ongole to examine the claims but found nothing to prove any malpractice.
At present, it will all boil down to the decision taken by the Election Commission regarding the case. Balineni has filed this case while still holding membership with the YSR Congress Party. Today, however, he has left for the Jana Sena and that too is quite a shift in his journey so far.