Hyderabad: Dasoju Sravan Kumar moved the State Election Commission and the Governor of Telangana seeking an urgent probe into alleged black money in local polls during recent Sarpanch and Municipal elections.
In a formal complaint, Sravan alleged large-scale cash distribution and excessive spending in several constituencies. He described the trend as a serious threat to democratic norms. He urged authorities to order an investigation on a war footing.
Referring to the Moinabad Municipal elections, he cited reports that ₹70,000 per vote was distributed along with 25 kg of rice. He claimed an independent candidate spent ₹7 crore to secure a local seat. According to him, such practices distorted the electoral mandate.
Sravan also pointed to reports from Medak. He alleged that a candidate publicly claimed to have spent ₹13 crore for a Sarpanch post. He said such expenditure indicated deep-rooted black money in local polls.
Complaint seeks audit and ACB probe into black money in local polls
In his representation to the State Election Commission, Sravan demanded a special audit of winners in high-expenditure zones. He asked authorities to examine declared and undeclared assets. He also sought verification of actual campaign spending.
Further, he called for an independent inquiry by the Anti-Corruption Bureau to trace the source of funds. He urged the Commission to track the alleged black money trail. He also requested strict action under Section 10A of the Representation of the People Act against candidates who breached expenditure limits.
Sravan argued that excessive spending undermined accountability. He said candidates who invested crores would attempt to recover money after assuming office. Therefore, he warned that governance could suffer if such trends continued.
He maintained that commercialization of elections weakened public trust. He added that democracy required strict enforcement of spending norms. The complaint urged immediate intervention to safeguard electoral integrity in the State.
