KADAPA: In a scathing attack on the ruling NDA coalition, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief and former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu orchestrated widespread ‘nomination rigging’ and turned the ongoing local body elections into a farce out of fear of public backlash over unfulfilled poll promises.
Addressing party cadres in Kadapa, Jagan likened Naidu to the Mahabharata character Sakuni, alleging that the government has abandoned democratic principles, abused state machinery, and deployed violent tactics to manufacture fake victories.
Jagan asserted that the coalition’s celebration of uncontested wins across 17 Urban Local Bodies — including 15 chairperson posts for TDP and one each for Jana Sena and BJP — is a matter of shame rather than pride, as opponents were forcefully prevented from filing nominations in 21 percent of the 2,108 wards.
Challenging Naidu to a genuine electoral contest, the former chief minister questioned the status of the coalition’s ‘Super Six’ and ‘Super Seven’ campaign promises, stating that 143 commitments remain unfulfilled after three years in office.
He highlighted that women candidates faced severe physical assault, road check-posts, and tearing of nomination papers by ruling party goons..
Contrasting this with his previous administration’s welfare delivery through Asara, Cheyutha, Amma Vodi, and 31 lakh house-site pattas, Jagan declared that the public is confronting the government with its own pre-election promise bonds.
Detailing specific instances of high-handedness in Pulivendula, Jagan pointed out that YSRCP nominees could file papers in only 20 of 40 wards and four of seven ZPTC seats after candidates were lathi-charged and intercepted by police.
He alleged that police fired 37 rounds, used 20 stun shells, 40 smoke shells, and seven hand grenades against party workers before slapping attempt-to-murder cases on 924 people.
Furthermore, he noted that across Kadapa district, contests were thwarted in 17 of 39 ZPTC seats, with nominations arbitrarily rejected midnight during scrutiny despite clear directives from the Supreme Court.
Warning that officials and police forces colluding in subversion of democracy would be held accountable even post-retirement, Jagan declared that Pulivendula would serve as the launching pad for a statewide movement to protect democracy.
YSRCP alleges police bias in local body polls
Escalating its legal and political offensive against the ruling NDA coalition, the YSRCP on Tuesday filed formal complaints with the State Election Commission (SEC) alleging widespread police intimidation, voter inducement and candidate suppression in the ongoing local body elections.
Leading a YSRCP delegation to the SEC, MLC Lella Appireddy and former MLA TJR Sudhakar Babu submitted audio and video recordings showing law enforcement officers actively interfering in the electoral process. Appireddy demanded the suspension of Gudur DSP Narasimha Murthy and action against Nellore CI Seetharam
