The Supreme Court has directed the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) to halt the local‑body election process in 100 urban local bodies. The order, issued late on 21 October, suspended proceedings in 13 municipal corporations and 87 municipalities and nagar panchayats. The court also instructed the state police chief to provide protection to those who seek it and asked the SEC to address complaints lodged by the opposition party. The move follows reports of violence between workers of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the opposition Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP). YSRCP has alleged that its candidates were being prevented from filing nominations. The party has taken the matter to the Andhra Pradesh High Court, seeking a one‑day extension to the 18 October nomination deadline, but the plea was rejected. YSRCP then filed a Special Leave Petition in the Supreme Court challenging the High Court order. On 21 October the Supreme Court directed the SEC to resolve the complaints and postponed the publication of the final list of contesting candidates to 25 October. The polls will now be held on 1 November instead of the originally scheduled 28 October. The state polling body also extended the nomination deadline by 48 hours for four civic bodies – Kadapa Municipal Corporation, Rajampet Municipal Corporation, Tirupati Municipal Corporation and Mydukur Municipality – accepting nominations on 23 and 24 October. According to DGP Harish Kumar Gupta, 45 incidents of violence were reported over the preceding two days, including 14 incidents in eight districts on 23 October. The incidents involved clashes and the destruction of nomination papers. Police had prevented YSRCP leaders from organising processions and had taken YSRCP MP Y S Avinash Reddy into preventive custody while he was preparing to accompany candidates. Several YSRCP leaders, including former minister S Sailajanath and Ketireddy Peddreddy, were placed under house arrest in Anantapur. YSRCP’s state coordinator, Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, said that 76 incidents of violence occurred across 11 districts during the filing of nominations for the urban local body polls and elections to Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs). He alleged that TDP and Jana Sena Party workers were preventing YSRCP candidates from filing nominations and accused the police of assisting the TDP in intimidation. The ruling alliance dismissed these allegations. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu accused YSRCP of creating unrest in several towns, including Punganur, Rayachoti, Kanigiri, Darsi, Kadapa, Thamballapalle and Tirupati. He claimed that YSRCP had hired groups from Punjab, snatched nomination papers at the Kanigiri centre, and attacked the Jana Sena office in Thamballapalle. Naidu also alleged that YSRCP was spreading false information through its media and that a YSRCP MP had run over NDA cadres with his vehicle, citing that the MP’s car contained liquor bottles and weapons. He further accused YSRCP of filing “fake litigations” in courts and of using its media outlet to tarnish the state’s image. TDP leaders, including Uma Mahashwara Rao, Varla Ramaiah and Lokesh Naidu, have also criticised YSRCP, accusing the opposition of inciting violence to disrupt the election process.
Article source: Indian Express | Image credit: Indian Express