59 officers, torn papers and a Supreme Court plea: YSRCP refuses to quit Andhra's local polls

Amaravati: Attacks, intimidation and criminal cases will not force the YSRCP out of the ongoing local body elections in Andhra Pradesh, party state coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said on Tuesday.
Reddy demanded an inquiry by a sitting High Court judge into the recent alleged police firing in Pulivendula. He claimed police opened fire without provocation while opposition candidates were trying to file their nominations. 'Attacks, intimidation and criminal cases will not force YSRCP out of elections,' he said.
He alleged that the TDP-led coalition government was 'preventing nominations, coercing withdrawals and engineering rejections' before celebrating 'unopposed victories'. In Kadapa, he alleged, police stopped around 40 to 50 prospective candidates and 10 to 12 nominations were rejected. He also claimed the Preventive Detention Act was invoked against Dalit leader Rajaiah in Duggirala.
On October 19, the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led YSRCP approached the Supreme Court over the alleged obstruction of its candidates during the nomination process. Party general secretary L. Appi Reddy filed a special leave petition challenging the Andhra Pradesh High Court's October 18 order refusing to extend the nomination deadline.
Meanwhile, the TDP said in a post on X that the YSRCP's agenda was 'rowdyism and winning elections to obstruct development'. YSRCP leaders also urged the State Election Commission to remove 59 police officers from election duty, alleging partisan conduct.
YSRCP general secretary L. Appi Reddy filed the special leave petition through Advocate-on-Record Mahfooz A. Nazki, challenging the High Court's October 18 order. The party told the Supreme Court about alleged violent incidents in Punganur, Rayachoti, Kadapa and Tirupati during the nomination process, and alleged that in Kadapa nomination papers were snatched and torn.