Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday accused the YSR Congress Party of trying to stall the local body elections, and the state's development, by going to court.
Speaking in Amaravati, Naidu alleged that YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was plotting sabotage while sitting in Bengaluru. He said that whenever such attempts were blocked, the party rushed to the courts to halt the polls.
What the Supreme Court said
The remarks came on the same day the Supreme Court heard the YSRCP's plea. The party says violence and intimidation stopped its candidates from filing nominations for the urban local body polls. It moved the Supreme Court after the Andhra Pradesh High Court dismissed its petitions on October 18.
The court directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to decide by Thursday, October 22, whether to rerun the nomination process in the 19 places where violent incidents were reported. It also asked the SEC to file a status report by October 27. The SEC has deferred publishing the final list of candidates in those 19 local bodies.
YSRCP's response
YSRCP coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy welcomed the court's intervention. He alleged 76 incidents of violence and obstruction, and asked the SEC to protect candidates and remove officials he said were working for the ruling party. Party MLC Lella Appi Reddy said the same problems seen in the municipal nominations were now showing up in the ZPTC and MPTC nominations.
The SEC has notified polls for 123 urban and rural local bodies. All eyes are now on its decision on Thursday.
