Supreme Court defers Andhra Pradesh municipal poll final candidate list to October 25

The Supreme Court directed the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission to postpone the publication of the final list of candidates for the state's urban local body elections until October 25. A bench comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice V Mohana issued the order on Wednesday after hearing a petition from the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party. The court instructed the commission to decide by the following day whether to extend the nomination deadline for candidates who claimed they were hindered by law and order conditions. If the commission opts for an extension, the deadline must be extended by at least 48 hours from the date of the decision.

The YSRCP, the principal opposition party in the state, argued that nearly two-thirds of its candidates were prevented from filing nominations. According to LiveLaw, the party's counsel stated that 63% of candidates faced obstruction, which could result in ruling party candidates winning unopposed in those constituencies. The petition, filed through General Secretary Lella Appireddy, cited incidents of violence in Punganur, Rayachoti, Kadapa, and Tirupati. It alleged that nomination papers were torn in Kadapa and that nine candidates in Tirupati were stopped from reaching the returning officers' offices. The party also referenced an attack on the convoy of MP P.V. Midhun Reddy while he accompanied candidates to file papers.

The ruling Telugu Desam Party-led government and the State Election Commission argued that the opposition was creating a media narrative and that the election process should remain in the hands of the independent constitutional authority. Senior Advocate Siddharth Luthra, representing the state, contended that the YSRCP itself perpetrated some of the violence by bringing people from Punjab. The court, however, held that the YSRCP had made a prima facie case for judicial interference to ensure free and fair elections. The bench directed the Director General of Police to ensure protection for candidates and CCTV coverage at nomination centres.

The election to 100 urban local bodies is scheduled for October 28, with votes counted on October 30. The matter will be considered again on October 27, when the State Election Commission and the state must file compliance affidavits. The YSRCP had previously approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court on October 10, but a single judge dismissed the plea on October 15, and a subsequent application for an extension was rejected on October 18.