Amaravati, Oct 23 The ruling TDP on Friday accused the YSRCP of resorting to violence and intimidation to disrupt the ongoing local body elections in Andhra Pradesh, alleging that the opposition party feared an electoral wipeout.
Addressing a press conference at the TDP central office in Mangalagiri, TDP MLA B Umamaheswara Rao alleged that the YSRCP had filed 59 cases, seeking to stall the elections.
“The YSRCP, fearing a complete electoral rout, is resorting to violence and intimidation to disrupt the ongoing local body elections in Andhra Pradesh,” Rao claimed.
He accused opposition leaders of intimidating candidates and cited incidents of vehicles being torched in Punganur, nomination papers being torn in Tirupati, and attacks on officials in Nagari and Srikalahasti.
Countering YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy’s allegations that opposition candidates were prevented from filing nominations, Rao cited Election Commission figures showing that YSRCP candidates had filed 1,092 nominations for 659 ZPTC seats, compared with 1,055 nominations filed by TDP candidates.
For the 9,829 MPTC seats, YSRCP candidates had filed 12,419 nominations, he said, adding that the party had submitted 99 nominations for 32 wards in Kuppam. He questioned the opposition’s allegations of obstruction in the nomination process.
The MLA played videos purportedly showing YSRCP cadres damaging police barricades in Kanigiri and incidents of violence in Rajampet and Kadapa. He cited a video statement by Nandyal candidate Nagamani, who said she had withdrawn her nomination voluntarily, countering allegations that candidates had been forced to withdraw.
Comparing previous local body elections, he claimed that only 0.1 per cent of seats were won unopposed during the TDP government’s tenure in 2014, while 21 per cent of seats were won unopposed in the 2021 elections under the YSRCP government. He alleged that intimidation, kidnappings and extortion had contributed to the latter figure.
The TDP MLA accused the erstwhile YSRCP government, which was in power from 2019 to 2024, of failing to fulfil 85 per cent of its manifesto promises and imposing Rs 50,000 crore in power true-up charges. He said the present NDA coalition government had spent Rs 1.6 lakh crore on welfare in 27 months despite inheriting a financial crisis.
He alleged that the YSRCP was attempting to prevent nearly Rs 12,500 crore in funds from the 16th Finance Commission from reaching local bodies by obstructing the electoral process.
Elections to 100 urban local bodies will be held on October 28, with results on October 30. Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) elections are scheduled for November 3, with counting on November 5.
Gram panchayat elections will be held in three phases on November 26, November 29 and December 2, with results declared on the day of each phase.
(PTI News)
