Jagan Sounds Alarm Over Municipal Polls: Alleges Intimidation, Demands Paramilitary Forces
YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy meets State Election Commissioner to allege irregularities and demand paramilitary forces for municipal polls.
In a high-stakes move to safeguard the democratic process, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy met with State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha in Vijayawada. The meeting, held on Sunday at the State Election Commission office, centered on grave concerns regarding the ongoing municipal election nomination process.
Allegations of Intimidation and Undemocratic Practices
During the meeting, Jagan Mohan Reddy raised serious allegations regarding the environment surrounding the nominations. He claimed that the process has been marred by irregularities, with opposition candidates facing intimidation and physical attacks.
Addressing the media after the session, the YSRCP chief warned that the reputation of the State Election Commission (SEC) is on the line. He argued that if the SEC fails to ensure that nominations are filed without hindrance, it would essentially become a party to "undemocratic practices."
"The SEC becoming a part of the undemocratic practice of stopping nominations would be recorded for the first time in history. The SEC should not be a part of it," Reddy stated.
Demands for Security and Fair Play
To prevent the alleged harassment of candidates, Jagan Mohan Reddy put forward several specific security requests to the Commissioner:
- Police Escorts: He urged the SEC to ensure that candidates are escorted to nomination centers by the police, specifically requesting that the Superintendent of Police (SP) lead the escort parties to guarantee that nomination papers are accepted.
- Paramilitary Deployment: Expressing doubt over the local environment, Reddy requested the deployment of central government and paramilitary forces for the elections. He indicated that he would also approach the Governor to request the Centre's intervention.
The former Chief Minister noted that if candidates are struggling just to file their nominations, the situation for ordinary voters on polling day could be far worse.
Push for Total Transparency via Live CCTV
Beyond security, the YSRCP president demanded an unprecedented level of transparency to prevent electoral fraud. He requested live CCTV coverage for multiple stages of the election process, making the footage available to the general public:
Polling and Strong Rooms
Reddy called for live feeds from polling stations, covering both the inside and outside of the booths. Furthermore, fearing that ballot boxes could be tampered with, he demanded live CCTV monitoring of the strong rooms where the boxes are stored.
Counting and Verification
The demand for transparency extended to the final tally. Jagan sought:
- Live CCTV coverage of the proceedings inside counting centers.
- Live footage of the verification process for Form 17C to ensure complete accuracy.
The YSRCP president emphasized that these requests are not new, asserting that his party has been consistently raising these issues to ensure a free and fair electoral process in Andhra Pradesh.