Jagan asks party leaders to gear up for local body polls
In Short
Alleges misuse of official machinery to obstruct candidates; calls for legal action against harassment
Share :
Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy
Amaravati: YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy directed senior party leaders to intensify preparations for the local body elections, stressing the need to identify strong candidates and respond swiftly to alleged attempts to obstruct the opposition.
At a meeting with regional coordinators, district presidents and parliamentary constituency observers, Jagan reviewed candidate selection and election preparedness in the wake of the finalisation of reservations for various municipal corporations and municipalities. He asked the leaders to assess political conditions in their respective areas and select candidates capable of taking on the ruling coalition.
Alleging that the NDA coalition government was using official machinery to target opposition leaders, Jagan referred to what he described as the State’s “Red Book rule” and alleged lawlessness. He claimed that officials were creating hurdles for prospective candidates in obtaining caste and no-dues certificates.
Citing the case of Shashikala, a former corporator from Visakhapatnam, Jagan alleged that a Scheduled Caste woman had been issued a certificate identifying her as an OC Kapu. He said such actions could delay candidates’ efforts to obtain justice until the election process was over. He accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of encouraging such practices and urged party leaders to remain vigilant, particularly in agency areas.
Jagan asked regional coordinators to respond immediately to developments and directed constituency and parliamentary observers to remain available in their respective areas. He called on leaders to expose alleged misuse of official power and bring such instances to public attention, while keeping the party’s legal teams prepared to approach the courts for timely relief.
He instructed leaders to take complaints involving candidates or party workers to the Election Commission and senior officials without delay and to document every stage of the process. Jagan also alleged that police were harassing YSRCP leaders and workers by making them sign preventive bond papers in several parts of the State.
He said the party would not tolerate action that violated the law and called for legal action against those responsible. On candidate selection, he directed party leaders to give priority to those who had demonstrated commitment and loyalty to the YSRCP.
