Coalition fears YSRCP in local body polls

Tadepalli, Oct. 14: YSRCP has accused the coalition government of misusing official machinery and obstructing its candidates because it fears defeat in the upcoming local body elections.

Speaking to the media here on Wednesday, former minister Kurasala Kannababu and Putta Siva Sankar said caste certificates sought by YSRCP candidates were being delayed or issued with incorrect caste details. They alleged that TDP candidates were receiving certificates promptly, while YSRCP applicants faced delays or changes to their caste category—from SC to BC or BC to OC.

They cited cases in Visakhapatnam, where a former YSRCP corporator from the SC community was reportedly issued a certificate showing a different category, and another applicant’s caste was changed from BC to OC. In Markapuram, they said, a YSRCP candidate had been denied a caste certificate.

The leaders also alleged that police were intimidating YSRCP aspirants and cadre by summoning strong candidates to police stations and placing party workers under bind-over proceedings, with the aim of keeping them out of the elections.

They said these actions reflected the coalition’s fear of defeat as people were dissatisfied with Chandrababu Naidu’s anti-people policies and unfulfilled poll promises. They also questioned the timing of the election process, saying it was being rushed during the festival and holiday season.

The leaders demanded that all pending certificates be issued within 24 hours of a manual application. They said bind-over cases would not stop YSRCP from contesting and called for the elections to be conducted transparently. They warned that officials responsible for obstructing the process would be held accountable.