Jagan accuses SEC of complicity in civic poll malpractices, says YSRCP will go to court

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused the State Election Commission (SEC) of being complicit in the electoral malpractices that took place during the urban local body elections on November 1.

Instead of protecting democracy, the SEC acted as per the whims of the coalition government, he said. In an X post on Monday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said the shocking incidents during the municipal elections, particularly those in Pulivendula, exposed how the SEC stood firmly behind the malpractices.

The State Election Commission (SEC), which is meant to protect democracy, has become subservient to @ncbn. The shocking incidents during yesterday's municipal polling across the state, including in Pulivendula, show how the SEC is enabling election irregularities.

Yesterday in Pulivendula, YSRCP agents were kept out of 70 of the 80 polling booths. TDP goons brought in from other areas went on a rampage with the support of election officials and the police. They attacked our party agents to stop them from entering polling booths.

In some places, they dragged our agents out of the polling stations. These incidents took place with the police's support. Voter slips were snatched from people, polling booths were captured, and votes were rigged and cast repeatedly.

The video evidence of these incidents is clear. Agents from all 70 booths came to me personally, showed their agent forms to the officials, lodged complaints and protested. The entire state witnessed what happened. Yet the SEC's response was shocking.

Irregularities took place in 70 of the 80 booths, and our agents were attacked and forced out. In these circumstances, how was it fair for the SEC to order repolling in only four booths and then wash its hands of the matter?

The SEC's decision to order repolling in only four booths in Pulivendula, despite irregularities in many more, was an eyewash meant to mislead the public. Can these elections be called free and fair? If the Election Commission, which is responsible for protecting democracy, turns a blind eye to the ruling party's wrongdoing, how can people's right to vote be protected?

How can the public retain faith in the electoral system? These incidents were not limited to Pulivendula. Election irregularities took place across the state, including in the municipal corporations of Kadapa, Anantapur, Tirupati, Kurnool, Chittoor, Ongole, Guntur, Nellore, Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada.

Similar incidents occurred in several municipalities, including Macherla, Chilakaluripet, Vinukonda, Jammalamadugu, Nandyal, Chimakurthy, Giddalur, Emmiganur, Sullurpeta, Palasa, Dhone, Naidupeta, Nandigama, Jaggayyapeta, Kuppam, Puttur and Parvathipuram.

We will fight these election irregularities in court to protect democracy. We will place every piece of evidence before the courts. Justice may take time, but truth and justice will ultimately prevail. #CBNJungleRaj He alleged that the election authorities and police openly facilitated booth capturing, rigging and intimidation as the SEC failed to protect the democratic rights of voters and opposition candidates.

In Pulivendula, YSRCP’s polling agents were prevented from functioning in 70 out of 80 polling booths, and TDP ‘goons’ brought in from outside areas unleashed violence with the support of election officials and police, he alleged, claiming that there was clear video evidence of the atrocities.

The YSRCP chief said the entire State witnessed these incidents, and in spite of the availability of ‘overwhelming evidence’, the SEC ordered repolling in only four booths, completely ignoring the violations elsewhere. He questioned how elections conducted through intimidation, booth capturing and rigging could be called free and fair and how people would trust the electoral system if the institution entrusted with safeguarding democracy failed in its duties.

Expressing commitment to protecting democracy, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that the YSRCP would wage a legal battle against the electoral irregularities and place every piece of evidence before the courts.