Andhra Pradesh Local Body Elections YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP Maddila Gurumoorthy has accused the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), police officials and election authorities of alleged collusion in the conduct of local body elections in Andhra Pradesh. He has sought an independent and impartial investigation into allegations of intimidation, nomination irregularities, physical attacks and illegal collections aimed at ensuring unopposed victories for ruling party candidates.
Gurumoorthy said he had submitted complaints to the President of India and the Governor of Andhra Pradesh, seeking a thorough inquiry into the alleged electoral malpractice and the role of officials involved.
YSRCP MP Alleges Rs 40–50 Lakh Collections for Unopposed Victories
Gurumoorthy alleged that Rs 40 lakh to Rs 50 lakh was being collected from each TDP candidate to secure unopposed victories in local body elections. He questioned the alleged involvement of ruling party leaders, police personnel and election officials in the process.
According to the YSRCP MP, opposition candidates faced several obstacles while filing their nomination papers. He alleged that candidates were threatened, physically attacked and prevented from submitting nominations. In some cases, nomination papers were allegedly torn up or destroyed, including at the offices of Returning Officers.
These allegations have raised concerns about electoral transparency and whether opposition candidates were given a fair opportunity to contest the elections.
Alleged Attacks on Opposition Candidates and Rejection of Nominations
Gurumoorthy accused the police of failing to intervene when opposition candidates were allegedly attacked or threatened. He also alleged that election officials rejected YSRCP candidates’ nomination papers on minor technical grounds.
He claimed that irregularities occurred during the scrutiny of nominations, allegedly helping ruling party candidates secure unopposed victories. He further called for an investigation into allegations that money collected through the process was distributed among individuals who helped facilitate the alleged irregularities.
The allegations require an independent investigation to establish the facts and determine whether election rules were violated.
1,345 MPTC and ZPTC Candidates Allegedly Faced Obstacles
The YSRCP MP said his complaint highlighted difficulties allegedly faced by 1,345 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) candidates in filing their nominations.
He also expressed concern that no nominations were filed in 222 wards across seven municipalities. Gurumoorthy called for an inquiry into the circumstances behind these developments and the difficulties faced by prospective candidates.
He said investigators should examine whether intimidation, procedural irregularities or other factors prevented eligible candidates from entering the electoral contest.
Questions Raised Over the State Election Commission’s Role
Gurumoorthy also questioned the functioning of the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (APSEC) during the local body election process.
He sought an investigation into several issues, including:
- How complaints about alleged election irregularities were handled.
- Whether Supreme Court directions were properly implemented.
- Whether complaints, video recordings and other evidence were preserved.
- Whether adequate security was provided to opposition candidates during the nomination process.
- Whether nomination papers were rejected unfairly or destroyed.
- Whether officials acted impartially while scrutinising nominations.
He demanded appropriate action against those found responsible if an independent investigation establishes that electoral rules were violated.
Chandrababu Naidu Government Asked to Respond
Gurumoorthy said allegations of intimidation, physical attacks, nomination obstruction and illegal collections had raised serious questions about the fairness of local body elections in Andhra Pradesh.
He urged the Chandrababu Naidu-led government to respond to the allegations and ensure that candidates from all political parties receive equal opportunities to contest elections.
The YSRCP MP stressed that electoral victories should be determined by voters rather than money, threats or the misuse of official authority. He said a comprehensive and impartial investigation was necessary to establish accountability and restore public confidence in the electoral system.
The allegations made by Gurumoorthy have not been independently established in the information provided. An impartial inquiry would be needed to determine the facts and identify any violations of election law.
