Hyderabad, April 13 (IANS): A group of applicants under the double bed-room housing scheme staged a protest at the residence of Nivedita, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) candidate for Secunderabad Cantonment Assembly by-election.

They alleged that they were cheated by her family after collecting money from them to provide houses under the scheme at Marredpally.

Claiming that 30 people paid money for the houses, they demanded that the MLA candidate return their money.

The protesters claimed that Rs1.40 crore was given to G. Sayanna in the presence of his daughters.

BRS MLA G. Sayanna passed away on February 19 last year due to illness.

In the Assembly elections held in November, the BRS had fielded his daughter Nanditha. She was elected to the Assembly.

Nanditha had defeated her nearest rival Narayanan Sri Ganesh of the BJP by a margin of 17,169 votes.

However, Nanditha died in a car crash near Hyderabad on February 23.

On April 10, the BRS announced the candidature of Nanditha’s sister Niveditha for the by-election.

The by-election to Secunderabad Cantonment, one of the Assembly segments of Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency, is scheduled to be held along with the Lok Sabha polls on May 13.

The BRS hopes to capitalise on the sympathy perceived to have built up following Nanditha’s death within three months after her election.