Jagan demands amicus curiae for Andhra local body polls, cites Supreme Court violations
Synopsis
Jagan Mohan Reddy has escalated his battle against the TDP-led government in Andhra Pradesh, releasing pictorial evidence of alleged attacks on YSRCP candidates and demanding court-supervised elections. His call for an amicus curiae signals a direct legal confrontation with both the State Election Commission and the ruling coalition — with the outcome likely to define how free and fair the local body process is seen to be.
Key Takeaways
Jagan Mohan Reddy on 23 October 2026 demanded appointment of an amicus curiae to supervise Andhra Pradesh local body elections.
He alleged the TDP -led NDA government is violating Supreme Court directives on the conduct of polls.
YSRCP candidates, including women, were allegedly attacked and nomination papers snatched in 19 municipalities , according to Jagan.
The State Election Commission (SEC) reportedly limited re-nomination opportunities to wards in only 4 urban bodies — Tirupati , Kadapa , Rajampeta , and Mydukur .
Avinash Reddy was reportedly arrested from the party office in Kadapa ; former Deputy CM Narayana Swamy was allegedly attacked in Chittoor .
Jagan released a book titled 'Pachamookala Dadulu' as pictorial evidence, which he said will be submitted to the courts.
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) President Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday, 23 October 2026, accused the state's NDA government of flouting Supreme Court directives on local body elections and demanded the appointment of an amicus curiae to supervise the polling process. Addressing a press conference in Tadepalli, Jagan also called for deployment of central forces and mandatory CCTV coverage of the entire election process.
Key Allegations Against the TDP-Led Government
Jagan alleged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition has continued what he described as 'attacks on democracy,' with YSRCP candidates — including women — being physically attacked, threatened, and having their nomination papers snatched and torn. He claimed the pattern of violence in ZPTC and MPTC nominations mirrors the alleged irregularities seen in urban local body elections.
To substantiate his claims, Jagan released a book titled 'Pachamookala Dadulu' (attacks by yellow mobs), a compilation of pictorial evidence of the alleged attacks. He stated that the book's QR code would be made available to those seeking to defend democratic norms, and that the document would be submitted to the courts as evidence.
Charges of Forgery and Nomination Manipulation
'They have also forged the signatures of our candidates and announced the withdrawal of nominations,' Jagan alleged, adding that the TDP reportedly filed papers on behalf of YSRCP candidates to inflate candidate numbers and mislead the courts. He questioned the rationale behind blocking independent filings when elections are being contested on a party basis and candidate lists have already been published.
Jagan further alleged that the State Election Commission (SEC) had undermined Supreme Court directives by limiting re-nomination opportunities to a handful of wards in only four urban bodies — Tirupati, Kadapa, Rajampeta, and Mydukur — despite YSRCP having complained of obstruction in 19 municipalities.
Senior Leaders Targeted, Police Accused of Bias
Jagan named specific instances of alleged targeting: MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy was reportedly arrested from the party office in Kadapa, while former Deputy Chief Minister Narayana Swamy was allegedly attacked in Chittoor. Jagan accused the police of acting with bias and alleged that complaints filed with the SEC went unaddressed, which he said pointed to direct interference by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
'Chandrababu is pulling the strings as he is afraid of the results, as he failed to fulfil his poll promises,' Jagan claimed. He warned that erring officials would 'bear the consequences in the coming days.'
YSRCP's Court Strategy and What Comes Next
Jagan said the party has been reporting all incidents to the concerned authorities and would approach the courts, arguing that democracy itself is at stake. He appealed to the judiciary to order the appointment of an amicus curiae, enforce central force deployment, mandate video recording of the process, and ensure protection for all contesting candidates. This comes amid a broader political confrontation between YSRCP and the ruling NDA coalition in Andhra Pradesh following the 2024 assembly election results. Notably, this is not the first time Jagan has invoked the Supreme Court in election-related disputes, having previously contested the conduct of the SEC during the Covid-era local body polls, which he claimed YSRCP won decisively despite hostile conditions.
Point of View
Not just press conferences. But the credibility of these allegations hinges on what the courts make of the evidence; opposition parties routinely claim poll malpractice, and the SEC's selective re-nomination order suggests some grievances were at least partially acknowledged. The deeper issue is whether Andhra Pradesh's electoral institutions — the SEC, police machinery, and local administration — can demonstrate independence from the ruling coalition at a moment when that independence is under direct public challenge.
NationPress
23 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Jagan Mohan Reddy demand regarding Andhra Pradesh local body elections?
Jagan demanded that the court appoint an amicus curiae to supervise the local body elections in Andhra Pradesh, along with deployment of central forces and CCTV coverage of the entire polling process. He made these demands at a press conference in Tadepalli on 23 October 2026, alleging that the TDP-led NDA government was violating Supreme Court directives.
What is 'Pachamookala Dadulu' and why did Jagan release it?
'Pachamookala Dadulu,' which translates to 'attacks by yellow mobs,' is a book of pictorial evidence compiled by YSRCP documenting alleged attacks on its candidates during the nomination process. Jagan said the book's QR code would be shared widely and the document submitted to the courts as evidence of electoral malpractice.
What specific violations did YSRCP allege against the State Election Commission?
YSRCP alleged the SEC undermined Supreme Court directives by allowing re-nominations in only a handful of wards across four urban bodies — Tirupati, Kadapa, Rajampeta, and Mydukur — despite the party having reported obstruction in 19 municipalities. Jagan claimed the SEC ignored bias complaints filed by his party.
Which senior YSRCP leaders were reportedly targeted?
According to Jagan, MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy was arrested from the YSRCP party office in Kadapa, while former Deputy Chief Minister Narayana Swamy was allegedly attacked in Chittoor. Jagan cited these incidents as evidence of a broader crackdown on opposition participation.
What is the political background to this dispute?
The conflict stems from the fallout of the 2024 Andhra Pradesh assembly elections, which saw YSRCP lose power to the TDP-led NDA coalition. Local body elections have since become a flashpoint, with YSRCP alleging systematic efforts to exclude it from the democratic process, and the TDP-led government denying the charges.
