Maddila Gurumoorthy, an MP of the YSRCP, said police and election officials colluded with TDP to secure uncontested victories in the Andhra Pradesh local polls. The claim, posted on X, alleges that the TDP received payments from candidates in exchange for rubber‑stamping election outcomes. State Election Commission officials are now on the hook to investigate.
In a landmark move, the Supreme Court directed the SEC to probe the allegations and to provide protection for candidates who face intimidation. As a result, elections in 100 urban local bodies—including 13 municipal corporations and 87 municipalities—were suspended while the commission gathers evidence. Earlier, the SEC had already deferred elections in 19 municipalities across seven districts.
YSRCP has documented 76 incidents of violence and intimidation across 11 districts during the nomination phase, from attacks on party workers to the destruction of nomination papers. The party claims that police inaction or complicit silence enabled the TDP to prevail. The court’s directive aims to curb such systemic abuse.
TDP officials have denied the allegations, calling them politically motivated. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said the party will cooperate with the investigation but will not accept the court’s imposition of a blanket ban on TDP workers. “We are ready to submit all records,” he told reporters on May 26.
A local candidate in Vizag, who lost his nomination after a police officer allegedly tore his paper, is among those seeking redress. The SEC is slated to present its findings to the Supreme Court by June 15. The court will review the report and decide whether to order new elections in the affected areas.