The Supreme Court declines a broader inquiry into allegations of preventing YSRCP candidates from filing nominations for local body elections in Andhra Pradesh. The court will consider laying down guidelines to safeguard the electoral process.
The Supreme Court, presided by Chief Justice Surya Kant, stated on Tuesday that it could not conduct a broad inquiry into allegations of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) candidates being prevented from filing nominations for Andhra Pradesh's local body elections. The court noted that the disputed questions involved factual issues that candidates claiming exclusion would need to establish they attempted but were prevented from filing their nomination papers. On October 19, YSRCP approached the Supreme Court after the Andhra Pradesh High Court declined to extend the deadline for filing nominations or direct additional nomination centres. The party alleged intimidation in several places, including Kadapa, Tirupati, Punganur, and Rayachoti, claiming that cadres and supporters of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) obstructed their candidates from filing nominations. On October 21, the Supreme Court directed the state Election Commission to consider complaints from candidates who alleged they were prevented from filing nominations, including electronic evidence, and to extend nomination deadlines wherever necessary due to law-and-order problems. During the hearing on Tuesday, the bench noted that the Election Commission had acted upon representations and extended nomination deadlines in some places. Advocate Maninder Singh, representing YSRCP, submitted that many candidates were excluded despite approaching authorities. The court expressed it could not examine such allegations individually during the electoral process but will consider laying down guidelines to safeguard the electoral process, including preserving CCTV footage.
Source:
Scroll.in
