Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Monday, 19 October launched a sharp attack on the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), alleging that the opposition party was exploiting Gen-Z youth as 'pawns' to serve its political agenda. Speaking at a press conference in Amaravati, Naidu — who also serves as the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) National President — accused the YSRCP of being 'willing to do anything and commit any crime to secure political power.'

Naidu's Core Allegations Against YSRCP

The Chief Minister alleged that the YSRCP deliberately engineers disturbances and then attempts to deflect blame onto him and his administration. He further accused YSRCP President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of adopting double standards on the Election Commission of India.

Naidu pointed out that Jagan's party had previously supported the process for selecting the Chief Election Commissioner but was now levelling allegations against the commission after suffering electoral setbacks. He was responding to Jagan's remarks at a press conference on Sunday, where the former Chief Minister called for restoring the earlier system of appointing the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners through a panel that includes the Chief Justice of India.

Allegations of Electoral Malpractice Under YSRCP Rule

Naidu alleged that the YSRCP manipulated local body elections to engineer large-scale unopposed victories during its tenure in government. He claimed that the then State Election Commissioner (SEC) was forced to write to the Centre seeking protection after reporting widespread irregularities — and was criticised rather than supported for doing so.

According to Naidu, 24 per cent of MPTC seats and 19 per cent of ZPTC seats were won unopposed during the YSRCP government, with those victories allegedly secured through the misuse of official power. He further alleged that the previous government introduced legislation aimed at disqualifying opposition candidates, that liquor bottles were reportedly planted in the homes of opposition candidates to implicate them, and that opposition parties were prevented from filing nominations.

'Candidates were not even allowed to file nominations in Pulivendula — Jagan Mohan Reddy's own constituency. In contrast, candidates from various parties, including the YSRCP, have filed nominations in Kuppam, Pithapuram, and Pulivendula in the current elections,' Naidu said.

Violence and Law-and-Order Concerns

Naidu alleged that the YSRCP relied on violence both in past and in the ongoing local body elections, and said his government would take appropriate action against alleged excesses by YSRCP leaders. He also alleged that when Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy was murdered, attempts were made to shift blame onto him — and that he was now being held responsible for violence allegedly committed by the YSRCP itself.

'Violence has no place in my life. But I will not run away from criminals and rowdies. Those who take action against rowdies and goons may become targets of retaliation, but I will not be intimidated by their threats,' Naidu said.

He also alleged that Jagan was residing in Bengaluru, engaging in acts of lawlessness, and visiting Andhra Pradesh only occasionally to hold press conferences before returning.

Call for Clean Politics Ahead of Local Body Polls

Asserting that the next 20 years are crucial for Andhra Pradesh, Naidu called for curbing violence and keeping criminals away from public life. He appealed to voters to support coalition candidates in the upcoming local body elections, urging them to elect good leaders and ensure that good governments remain in power. The remarks signal an intensifying political confrontation between the ruling coalition and the YSRCP as local body election campaigning heats up.