Telangana: TRS vote pledge at mosque, Ganesh mandap sparks row

HYDERABAD: We have heard about election fatwas in the run-up to the hustings, but in the Telangana heartland, it’s about enlisting pledges in religious premises to ensure victory for candidates of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). A video of a group of Muslims taking a vote vow inside a mosque in Tandur — pocket borough of transport minister Mahendar Reddy — has gone viral, giving grist to speculation about the TRS strategy of taking the community route to win polls.
The video shows Muslims being administered a pledge to vote only for TRS and for the party candidate, Mahender Reddy. During the ‘makea-pledge’ ritual, the namazis can be seen repeating a pledge with outstretched hands to vote only for TRS “since chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and Mahender Reddy had taken good care of Muslims in four years”.

Reacting to pledges administered in a masjid, a resident, Rizwan Khan said, “Can't say about other faiths or places of worship, this is unacceptable in Islam. Masjids are not a place for political activity.”
Joining issue, Ravi said on Twitter, “Wrong practice. Cannot accept this at religious places, which should be free of political pledges by selfish politicians. Can police stop this?”
“At least leave the Gods alone! Pity KCR and his insecure ministers who are shamefully communalising the vote,” said Marri Aditya Reddy, grandson of former CM Marri Channa Reddy, who recently joined Telangana Jana Samithi, led by statehood icon Kodandaram.
In several villages, unanimous resolutions are passed by villagers to vote for TRS candidates. During the justconcluded Ganesh festivities, villagers handed over ‘unanimous resolution’ copies to candidates in some places.
Taking a pledge in village temples has also become a norm. For example, the rajaka (weaver) community handed over a resolution of their vote for TRS candidate A Jeevan Reddy in Armoor in front of a Ganesha idol. Jeevan, the sitting legislator, has been renominated by the party.
In other instances, villagers are being asked to congregate at a certain place to pledge their votes only for TRS candidates. Health minister C Laxma Reddy attended such programmes in his Jadcherla constituency where he is seeking re-election.