Jubilee Hills bypoll: TPCC seeks action on BRS’s Dayakar Rao for alleged use of children in campaign

Hyderabad: The Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) has written to the Election Commission to take action on former minister and BRS leader Erraballi Dayakar Rao for allegedly using children during the Jubilee Hills by-election campaigning.

In a letter to the Chief Electoral Officer Sudharshan Reddy, the TPCC said that Dayakar Rao’s actions are a grave violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and child rights.

The panel said that the incident took place on Thursday and attached alleged proof to support the claims. They shared a screenshot of the BRS leader’s Facebook page, where he allegedly shared photos of himself campaigning with children.

The letter stated that children below the age of 18 years were seen involved in BRS campaign activities in the presence of Erraballi Dayakar Rao. They were allegedly made to hold the BRS party flags and asked to shout slogans.

The TPCC stated that the alleged act violates:

- MCC, which prohibits the use of children (under 18) in election campaigning to protect them from exploitation.

- Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015, which terms engaging children in election work as child exploitation.

- Election Commission guidelines on child protection in elections.

The TPCC requested the CEO to immediately stop Dayakar Rao’s campaign activities involving children, investigate and take strict action against Dayakar Rao under MCC and child protection laws. The TPCC also asked the EC to ensure children are safely removed from the campaign areas and police be stationed to prevent more such incidents.

“Using children in campaigns exploits them and undermines electoral integrity. Urgent intervention is needed to protect vulnerable children and uphold fair elections,” the letter said.