Jagan regrets backing 2023 EC law, seeks neutral selection

YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday, October 18, expressed regret over his party’s support for the 2023 law governing appointments to the Election Commission and called for a selection process independent of the government of the day.

Speaking at the party’s central office in Tadepalli, the former Andhra Pradesh chief minister said a neutral appointment mechanism was necessary to sustain confidence in elections, India Today reported, with inputs from PTI. His party had supported the Chief Election Commissioner and Other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Act, 2023, in Parliament.

A reversal on appointments

Reddy argued that government involvement in choosing election officials created a structural problem: even an official who acted honestly could face doubts about impartiality because of the appointment process. He sought a neutral selection body rather than one controlled by the political establishment in power.

He extended that demand to State Election Commissioners, arguing that their selection should also take place through an impartial mechanism rather than depend on the chief minister. The report did not set out a proposed membership or detailed design for either selection body.

Allegations of obstruction during nominations

Reddy linked his demand for reform to allegations that the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh was obstructing opposition candidates seeking to contest local body elections. He accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of using officials, police personnel and party supporters to interfere with nominations.

According to Reddy, YSRCP candidates had nomination documents taken from them, while workers and associates faced assaults, abduction, intimidation, arson and allegedly fabricated cases. He alleged that some of these actions occurred with police knowledge.

He cited Kadapa, Punganur and Tirupati as places where YSRCP MPs and workers encountered obstruction, including documents allegedly being seized or rejected, attacks on vehicles and assaults on supporters. In Pulivendula, he accused police personnel of throwing stones and firing into the air to frighten candidates arriving to submit nominations.

Reddy also alleged unequal access to nomination centres: TDP supporters were allowed to assemble, he said, while YSRCP candidates and workers were stopped despite complying with the limit of four accompanying persons. He said candidates remained unable to submit papers in several places on the final nomination day, including Tirupati, Kadapa, Kamalapuram, Rayachoti, Punganur, Darsi, Gurazala, Dachepalli, Piduguralla, Badvel and Rajampet.

These are Reddy’s allegations, not independently established findings. The report included no immediate response from the TDP and did not present corroborating records for the alleged incidents.

Questions over election notice and voter rolls

Reddy also challenged the preparation of the elections. He alleged that the schedule was announced only a day after reservation details were released, leaving opposition parties little preparation time while the government had advance knowledge.

He claimed that a Special Intensive Revision had identified 46 lakh fake voters but that elections would nevertheless proceed using an unrevised roll. That figure and characterisation were attributed to Reddy; the report did not establish them through electoral records. He further alleged that ward and division boundaries had been drawn to benefit the governing coalition.

Looking back at earlier local elections, Reddy claimed the YSRCP had won more than 90 per cent of the seats it contested when N Ramesh Kumar was State Election Commissioner. He portrayed Kumar as sympathetic to the TDP, an allegation rather than an established description of the former commissioner’s conduct.

Local elections scheduled from October 28

The reported schedule places elections to 100 urban local bodies on October 28, with results on October 30. Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency polls are scheduled for November 3, followed by counting on November 5.

Gram panchayat voting is scheduled in three phases—November 26, November 29 and December 2—with results due on each polling day.