Andhra Pradesh Local Polls: CPI, CPI(M) Hold Statewide Protest Today

The CPI and CPI(M) are holding protests across Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday, 11 November, against what they call the TDP-led alliance’s “onslaught on democracy” in the state’s local body elections. State CPI(M) secretary V. Srinivasa Rao announced the joint call at a press conference in Vijayawada on 6 November, a day after polling for Zilla and Mandal Parishad seats.

What the Left Parties Allege

Rao alleged that the ruling coalition broke the law and ignored procedure in both the municipal and panchayat polls. He said opposition candidates were stopped from filing nominations, polling agents were kept out of booths and candidates were prevented from visiting polling stations. He also alleged that police worked for the alliance by arresting and house-arresting opposition leaders and filing false cases. He urged democratic and secular parties and the public to join the protest. These are the parties’ allegations; the reports do not carry a reply from the State Election Commission.

Jagan Calls It a “Selection”

YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy made similar charges on 5 November, saying the ZPTC and MPTC polls were rigged and that nominations were blocked with police backing. “Chandrababu Naidu betrayed the people, which is why he does not dare to face free and fair elections,” he said. He alleged that the State Election Commissioner acted on the Chief Minister’s instructions. Earlier, on 1 November, Jagan said his polling agents were beaten and barred in the municipal polls; IPB News reported that allegation.

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The Numbers Behind the Row

Polling for 577 ZPTCs and 7,707 MPTCs was held on 5 November, with the remaining seats on 6 November because of Cyclone Murasu, and counting began on 7 November. By 9 pm that day, according to The News Minute, the NDA had won 273 of 659 ZPTC seats against 20 for the YSRCP, and 5,597 of 9,818 MPTC seats against 1,050. Before polling, 77 ZPTCs and 2,051 MPTCs had already been declared won unopposed, mostly by the TDP-led coalition. A government source told PTI in October that the YSRCP had filed fewer nominations than the TDP, and called the party’s claims “false propaganda”; the source was not named as a party spokesperson.

Gram Panchayat Polls Still to Come

Gram panchayat elections are scheduled in three phases on 26 November, 29 November and 2 December, according to ThePrint’s October report. Rao’s appeal for the 11 November protest suggests the Left parties will keep pressing the issue until then. More on the state’s polls is under the Andhra Pradesh tag. The earlier schedule is in IPB News’s report on MPTC and ZPTC nominations.

Source: Based on reporting by ANI, The News Mill, The News Minute and ThePrint.

Image: Kadapa District Collector’s office.