YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused the Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government of undermining democracy through alleged irregularities in the ongoing local body election process.
In a post on X, Jagan alleged that the government had demonstrated how elections could be manipulated even before polling began. He expressed concern that preventing opposition candidates from contesting elections posed a serious threat to the foundations of democracy.
Jagan highlighted four major types of alleged irregularities during the nomination process, scrutiny and withdrawal stages of the Andhra Pradesh local body elections.
1. Opposition Candidates Allegedly Prevented from Filing Nominations
Jagan alleged that several senior YSRCP leaders were placed under house arrest and subjected to preventive police action to prevent them from supporting party candidates.
He further claimed that TDP supporters were allowed to gather in large numbers near nomination centres, while restrictions were imposed on YSRCP candidates.
According to Jagan, some candidates were allegedly attacked and their nomination papers torn up. He also claimed that women candidates were targeted and that such incidents took place in the presence of police personnel and Returning Officers.
2. Fake Nominations Filed in the Name of YSRCP
The YSRCP chief alleged that while official party candidates were prevented from filing nominations, TDP sympathisers submitted fake nominations claiming to represent the YSRCP.
He questioned the acceptance of such nominations despite alleged violations involving Form-A and Form-B documents. Jagan said this created an impression that opposition candidates had been given equal opportunities, while genuine party nominees were being blocked.
3. YSRCP Nominations Rejected During Scrutiny
Jagan also alleged that YSRCP candidates who managed to file their nominations despite several obstacles were pressured to withdraw from the contest.
He claimed that candidates who refused to withdraw faced rejection of their nomination papers on minor technical grounds.
According to him, supporting documents submitted by candidates were allegedly removed or tampered with, creating grounds for rejecting their nominations on the pretext of missing documents.
4. Nomination Withdrawals Allegedly Made Using Forged Signatures
Another serious allegation raised by Jagan concerned the alleged use of forged signatures to withdraw nominations.
He claimed that in some places, withdrawal forms were submitted without the candidates’ consent and were approved by election officials.
Jagan alleged that such actions deprived candidates of their democratic right to contest elections.
Jagan Demands Independent Investigation into Election Irregularities
Demanding an independent investigation into every complaint, Jagan called for the preservation and detailed examination of nomination papers, scrutiny records, withdrawal documents and CCTV footage from election centres.
He also demanded strict action against officials allegedly involved in irregularities and called for an opportunity for candidates who were unfairly excluded from the election process to contest again.
Questioning Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, Jagan asked why YSRCP candidates were allegedly being prevented from contesting if the ruling party was confident of having public support.
He further questioned why voters were being denied the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice.
Concerns Over Fair Polling and Election Transparency in AP
With local body polling scheduled to begin on November 1, Jagan called for independent monitoring to ensure that candidates could participate freely, polling agents could perform their duties without interference and voters could exercise their franchise without fear.
He also expressed concerns about the remaining stages of the election process, including polling, vote counting and the declaration of results.
Jagan warned that if such serious allegations had emerged during the nomination stage itself, questions could arise over the fairness and transparency of the subsequent election process.
The YSRCP chief reiterated the need for a free, fair and transparent election process in Andhra Pradesh.
