"Mockery Of Democracy. Cancel It": Jagan Reddy Slams Andhra Panchayat Bypolls

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy has called for fresh elections for the Pulivendula and Vontimitta zilla parishad by-polls - this time under the supervision of central forces to ensure a "fair" process - because those held Tuesday were "a mockery of democracy".

Echoing Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's 'vote chori' battle-cry - an attack on the Election Commission and the Bharatiya Janta Party for 'colluding' to commit voter fraud - Mr Reddy declared, "What happened at Pulivendula and Vontimitta is the real 'vote chori'."

Mr Reddy told reporters booth agents from his YSR Congress Party had been forced to abandon their posts and people had been bullied into voting for the ruling Telugu Desam Party. "Cancel the two elections and re-conduct them under the protection of central forces," he declared.

The YSRCP boss made his demand with the party's two candidates sitting by his side.

The party will move the court to cancel the election, the former Chief Minister said.

The Pulivendula by-poll is a prestige issue for Jagan Reddy. Not only is he the MLA for the region, it is also a party stronghold. Vontimitta, meanwhile, is part of the Rajampet Assembly constituency won by the YSR Congress in the past two, i.e., 2019 and 2024, elections.

Mr Reddy slammed the "atrocious and undemocratic" election process and accused TDP boss and his successor, Nara Chandrababu Naidu, of having set "a very bad precedent which is dangerous to democracy, and the spirit of elections is lost by such nefarious deeds..."

He claimed the election had been tampered with despite police presence.

Mr Reddy claimed an estimated 10,600 votes across 15 booths were suspect.

He said around 700 police personnel had been deployed at these booths - not to ensure a peaceful election but to terrorise voters. He also slammed the shifting of polling booths, saying it was meant to threaten or confuse voters and force them to return without voting.

The ex-Andhra Chief Minister also showed video clips that appear to show TDP workers from Jammalamadugu (a town in YSR Kadapa district) and other areas voting while locals - those who were supposed to vote from these seats - claimed they had not been allowed to vote.

Mr Reddy claimed his party's Kadapa Lok Sabha MP, YS Avinash Reddy - also his cousin - had been placed under house arrest and "manhandled", after he complained of booth-capturing.

The police said Avinash Reddy - who the party said was not in the polling area, as required by law - had been taken into custody over fears of violence between YSRCP and TDP workers. The cops also pointed out a TDP lawmaker - MLA Ram Gopal Reddy - had been similarly detained.

But Jagan Reddy insisted the cops had favoured the TDP, declaring that party's cadre could move around the polling area and indulge in malpractice by claiming to be from the YSRCP.

"Police were handpicked for this... they conducted the election in a totally biased manner to please Chandrababu Naidu... who has been harassing cops who do not toe his line."

"This cannot be called an election as YSRCP polling agents - who play an important role in the election process, right from verifying voters' list to complaining about fake voters and then sealing the ballot boxes - were not allowed to operate," the former Chief Minister said.

"Where is the need for an election if such practices are followed? This is a dangerous trend... as the State Election Commission did not consider our complaints on atrocities, violence, and police bias, and did not respond to our pleas to make CCTV footage public."

Jagan Reddy also counterattacked after criticism from the Congress' Manickam Tagore, and blamed the national party for turning a "blind eye to the corruption" of the TDP-led coalition government in the southern state.