Pulivendula, Oct 2026 : YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday accused the ruling coalition government of undermining democratic principles in the ongoing local body elections, alleging that official machinery was being misused to prevent Opposition candidates from filing nominations.
Addressing party workers in his home constituency of Pulivendula in YSR Kadapa district ahead of the local body polls, Jagan warned police officials against acting in violation of the Constitution and said that any attack on a YSRCP worker would be treated as an attack on him personally.
He cautioned officials that those responsible for injustice would be held accountable even after retirement. Police personnel, he said, must remember the three lions on their caps and the constitutional oath they had taken, stressing that they served under the Constitution and not under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
The YSRCP chief alleged that the ruling coalition was attempting to secure electoral victories by restricting the Opposition's participation rather than facing a genuine contest. He claimed that the government was resorting to undemocratic practices because it had failed to fulfil its electoral promises and was apprehensive about facing voters.
Jagan alleges ‘nomination rigging’
Questioning the fairness of the ongoing local body elections, Jagan said that democracy required a level playing field in which every candidate had an equal opportunity to contest.
He alleged that the ruling coalition had taken electoral manipulation beyond booth rigging to what he described as “nomination rigging”, claiming that candidates were being prevented from submitting their nomination papers through the occupation of nomination centres, intimidation and the misuse of official machinery.
“ You contest, I contest, and whoever receives the people's vote should win. That is Democracy. Preventing opponents from contesting and then claiming victory is shameful,” he said.
Comparing Chandrababu Naidu to Shakuni, the character from the Mahabharata known for deception through the use of dice, Jagan questioned how the sanctity of election results could be maintained if candidates were denied the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.
He maintained that arrests, police cases and harassment were not new experiences for the YSRCP, which, according to him, had emerged as a political force while in the Opposition and had overcome challenges through public support.
Questions coalition's electoral claims
Jagan criticised the coalition for celebrating its reported gains in 17 urban local bodies, including 15 chairperson posts for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), one for Jana Sena and one for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
He also questioned the coalition's claims that 21 per cent of the 2,108 wards had been won unanimously.
According to the YSRCP president, victories secured without allowing Opposition candidates to contest could not be treated as genuine electoral mandates. He dismissed claims that six municipalities, including some in YSR district, had gone to the coalition as a matter of celebration.
Jagan challenged Naidu to face the Opposition in a fair electoral contest, asserting that the people's verdict should determine the outcome rather than administrative interference.
Referring specifically to Pulivendula, he alleged that nominations could be filed in only 20 of the constituency's 40 wards. Of the seven Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) seats, he claimed, contests were permitted in only four.
He further alleged that nomination papers had been snatched and torn, while other candidates' papers were rejected during scrutiny. According to him, some rejections took place after midnight.
Allegations of police action and intimidation
The former Chief Minister levelled serious allegations against the police, claiming that candidates seeking permission to file nominations had faced lathi-charges and that police firing had injured two people in their legs.
Jagan cited figures of 37 rounds fired, 20 stun shells, 40 smoke shells and seven hand grenades allegedly used during the incidents.
“Was filing a nomination their only crime?” he asked, questioning the use of force against people seeking to participate in the electoral process.
He also claimed that attempt-to-murder cases had been registered against 924 people in Pulivendula following the police action against YSRCP workers.
These allegations were made by Jagan while addressing party cadres and were not independently established in the remarks provided.
The YSRCP leader further alleged that the situation had not improved despite directions from the Supreme Court. He accused the state administration, including the State Election Commission (SEC), district collectors and superintendents of police, of failing to ensure a fair electoral process.
In Kadapa district, he claimed, elections had been prevented in 17 of the 39 ZPTC seats. He alleged that candidates were not allowed to file nominations in six places, while nominations in another 11 places were rejected after midnight during scrutiny.
Calls for statewide movement to protect democracy
Jagan urged party workers and the public to resist what he described as electoral injustice and called for a statewide movement to protect democratic rights, beginning in Pulivendula.
He said every household was discussing the differences between his administration and the present government led by Chandrababu Naidu, adding that voters would deliver their verdict in future elections.
“Three years have passed. Only two years remain. After that comes YS Jagan 2.0,” he said, expressing confidence in the YSRCP's political prospects.
Emphasising his relationship with party workers, Jagan said their problems were his own and declared, “If YS Jagan is one, the party worker is two.”
He recalled that Pulivendula had stood by him like family after the death of his father and credited the constituency's support with helping him become Chief Minister.
Jagan announced that he would return to Pulivendula a day before polling and personally cast his vote on election day. He appealed to voters to remain courageous and ensure that everyone could exercise their franchise freely.
“Pulivendula would become the starting point of a statewide movement to protect Democracy,” he said.
Despite the alleged restrictions on contests in several wards and ZPTC seats, Jagan asserted that the YSRCP would continue its political struggle, maintaining that free and fair elections were essential to preserving public confidence in democratic institutions.
