YSRCP Petitions Supreme Court Over Andhra Pradesh Election Violence

The Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) filed a Special Leave Petition with the Supreme Court of India, alleging that widespread violence and intimidation prevented its candidates from filing nominations for Urban Local Body elections in Andhra Pradesh. The party claims that between October 16 and October 18, candidates were assaulted and threatened in Punganur, Rayachoti, Kadapa, and Tirupati.

Specific incidents cited by the party include an attack on the convoy of Member of Parliament P.V. Midhun Reddy and reports from Kadapa where nomination papers were allegedly snatched and torn. In Tirupati, the party claims nine candidates were blocked from entering the offices of Returning Officers. The YSRCP is now seeking police protection, the establishment of alternative nomination centers, and an extension of the nomination deadline.

This legal action follows an October 18 ruling by the Andhra Pradesh High Court, which rejected the party's request to extend the deadline by one day. The High Court stated that such an extension would interfere with the election process. While the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission directed security at nomination centers, it also refused to extend the filing period.