Amaravati: The Opposition YSR Congress Party has moved the Supreme Court alleging that its candidates were attacked, threatened and blocked from filing nominations for Andhra Pradesh's local body elections, and has demanded more time to file papers.
YSRCP state coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said on Tuesday that 'attacks, intimidation and criminal cases will not force YSRCP out of elections'. He demanded an inquiry by a sitting High Court judge into the recent alleged police firing in Pulivendula, claiming officers opened fire without provocation while Opposition candidates were trying to file nominations.
Reddy alleged that the TDP-led coalition government was 'preventing nominations, coercing withdrawals and engineering rejections' before celebrating 'unopposed victories'. He said Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his media were portraying this exclusion as public support.
He claimed the Preventive Detention Act was invoked against senior Dalit leader Rajaiah in Duggirala, part of Minister Nara Lokesh's Mangalagiri constituency, to keep him out of the coming MPP election. He also alleged that caste and no-dues certificates were being delayed and candidates faced threats.
In Kadapa, police stopped around 40 to 50 prospective candidates and 10 to 12 nominations were rejected, Reddy alleged. He said the party would continue its legal battle up to the Supreme Court.
On October 19, the party filed a special leave petition challenging the Andhra Pradesh High Court's October 18 order refusing to extend the nomination deadline. The petition was filed through Advocate-on-Record Mahfooz A. Nazki. A vacation bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana will hear the plea on October 21. The elections are on October 28.
The TDP rejected the charge, saying in a post on X that the YSRCP's agenda was 'rowdyism and winning elections to obstruct development'.