Pulivendula, October 27, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Tuesday warned police officials that those responsible for injustice would be held accountable even after retirement. He also said any attack on a YSRCP worker would be treated as an attack on him personally.
Addressing party workers in his home constituency of Pulivendula in YSR Kadapa district ahead of the local body elections, Jagan urged police officials to remember their constitutional responsibilities and not act at the behest of political leaders.
He said police personnel worked under the Constitution, not for Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, and reminded them of the three lions on their caps and the oath they had taken.
The YSRCP chief accused the ruling coalition of conducting elections on an uneven playing field, alleging that the government was misusing official machinery to prevent Opposition candidates from filing nominations. He claimed the coalition was resorting to such tactics because it had failed to fulfil its poll promises and was apprehensive about facing a fair electoral contest.
Jagan said elections should provide equal opportunities to all candidates. He maintained that the ongoing local body polls were being undermined by alleged irregularities in the nomination process and the use of official machinery against the Opposition.
He said arrests, criminal cases and harassment were not new to the YSRCP, adding that the party had been born in the Opposition and had overcome difficulties with public support.
According to Jagan, people across the state were discussing the differences between his government and Naidu’s administration and would deliver their verdict in the coming elections.
“Three years have passed. Only two years remain. After that comes YS Jagan 2.0. If YS Jagan is one, the party worker is two,” he said.
Reassuring party cadres that their concerns were his own, Jagan recalled the support he had received from the people of Pulivendula after his father’s death, saying their backing had helped him become Chief Minister.
He declared that Pulivendula would become the starting point of a statewide movement to protect democracy. He also announced that he would return to the constituency a day before polling and personally cast his vote on polling day. He urged people to stand firm and ensure voters could express their choices freely.
Comparing Naidu to Shakuni, the character from the Mahabharata associated with deception and manipulation, Jagan questioned the credibility of election results when the nomination process itself was allegedly unfair.
He said Andhra Pradesh had previously witnessed allegations of booth rigging, but accused the ruling coalition of taking electoral manipulation to the nomination stage by occupying nomination centres and preventing Opposition candidates from submitting their papers.
“You contest, I contest, and whoever receives the people’s vote should win. That is democracy. Preventing opponents from contesting and then claiming victory is shameful,” he said.
Jagan also criticised the coalition for celebrating its reported gains in 17 Urban Local Bodies, comprising 15 chairperson posts for the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), one for Jana Sena and one for the BJP. He said the coalition was also highlighting the fact that 21 per cent of the 2,108 wards had been decided unanimously.
He argued that victories secured by denying opponents an opportunity to contest could not be considered genuine and challenged Naidu to face the Opposition in a fair electoral contest.
Citing Pulivendula, Jagan alleged that nominations could be filed in only 20 of the constituency’s 40 wards. Of the seven Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) seats, he said, contests were allowed in only four. He further alleged that nomination papers were snatched and torn, while others were rejected during scrutiny.
Jagan claimed that candidates seeking permission to file nominations were subjected to lathi-charges and alleged that police fired 37 rounds, injuring two people in the legs. He also claimed that 20 stun shells, 40 smoke shells and seven hand grenades were used during the incidents.
“Was filing a nomination their only crime?” he asked.
The former Chief Minister further claimed that attempt-to-murder cases had been registered against 924 people in Pulivendula following police firing on YSRCP workers.
He alleged that there had been no change in the conduct of Naidu, the State Election Commission (SEC), district collectors or Superintendents of Police despite directions from the Supreme Court.
In Kadapa district, Jagan claimed, contests had been prevented in 17 of the 39 ZPTC seats. He alleged that candidates were not allowed to file nominations in six locations, while nominations in another 11 locations were rejected after midnight during scrutiny.
Calling on YSRCP workers to oppose what he described as electoral injustice, Jagan said the movement to protect democracy should begin in Pulivendula and spread across Andhra Pradesh. He added that the party would continue its fight despite being allowed to contest in only 20 wards and four ZPTC seats in Pulivendula, according to his account.
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