Nalgonda: Kalluri Balaraju, who contested as a sarpanch candidate with the support of the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), had reportedly distributed cash to voters during the election campaign and lost by a margin of 450 votes. Defeated and heartbroken, he allegedly went door to door demanding the return of money he had distributed to voters. He lost to Congress candidate Jakkala Paramesh.

Balaraju was seen coaxing people to return the money and flashed a photograph of a deity and appealed to voters. He reportedly told them, “If you voted for me, swear in the name of God. Otherwise, return the money I gave you.” It is alleged that he managed to recover money from several voters in this manner.

Meanwhile, there have been several other cases of defeated candidates also demanding refund of money. Such incidents were reported in Bhadrachalam mandal and Gollagudem of Aswapuram mandal in Kothagudem district as well as at Somla Thanda of Mahabubabad mandal in Mahabubabad district.

A sarpanch candidate of Congress Podium Mangapathi who lost election in Gollagudem gram panchayat in Aswapuram mandal to BRS supported candidate Kondru Somaiah created a ruckus in the village. It was said that Mangapathi and his followers, unable to accept the defeat, threatened the voters using abusive language and demanded the money he distributed to voters.

In Mahabubabad, the public revolted against a defeated Congress supported sarpanch candidate Bhukya Kausalya. She along with her followers went door to door demanding the voters to take an oath that they voted for her or to return the money she distributed to them.