TDP spokesperson Pattabhi Ram accused the YSRCP of attempting to disrupt Andhra Pradesh local body elections and alleged that political unrest could affect ₹12,500 crore in Finance Commission funds.
Mangalagiri: Swachha Andhra Corporation Chairman and senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Kommareddy Pattabhi Ram on Thursday accused the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of attempting to disrupt the ongoing local body election process in Andhra Pradesh, alleging that the unrest could affect the release of ₹12,500 crore in funds from the 16th Finance Commission.
Addressing the media at the TDP central office in NTR Bhavan, Pattabhi Ram alleged that opposition leaders were deliberately creating tensions to obstruct the state government's development agenda. He contrasted the NDA coalition government's initiatives under Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu with what he described as the YSRCP's confrontational politics.
He also alleged that outsiders, including hired attackers from Punjab, were being brought into the state to create disturbances. These claims were made by the TDP spokesperson and were not independently verified.
Pattabhi Ram condemned reported incidents of violence in Punganur, Kadapa and Rayachoti, naming YSRCP leaders P.V. Mithun Reddy, Y.S. Avinash Reddy and Ramachandra Reddy in his criticism.
He also referred to an alleged attack in Chittoor involving a woman TDP candidate with a disability who uses a walker. According to him, the candidate was attacked when individuals attempted to seize her nomination papers.
The TDP leader accused the opposition of spreading claims that its candidates were being prevented from contesting the elections. He argued that nomination figures indicated that candidates from different parties were participating in the process.
The allegations concerning the incidents and the individuals named could not be independently established from the press note.
Pattabhi Ram said more than 23,000 nominations had been filed across 100 municipalities and municipal corporations. He pointed out that YSRCP candidates had also filed nominations in Kuppam, the Chief Minister's constituency, and Pithapuram, represented by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.
Citing the first day's nomination figures for Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) seats, he said 5,267 nominations had been filed for 9,829 MPTC seats. Of these, he attributed 2,719 to the TDP and 1,918 to the YSRCP.
For the 659 ZPTC seats, he said the YSRCP had filed 192 nominations against 128 by the TDP.
Pattabhi Ram argued that the figures contradicted the opposition's allegations of widespread intimidation. However, nomination totals alone do not establish whether candidates faced threats or whether the election process was free from irregularities.
The TDP spokesperson also criticised the YSRCP's record during its previous tenure, citing the dispute involving former State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He recalled that Ramesh Kumar had approached the Union Home Ministry seeking security amid alleged threats to him and his family.
Pattabhi Ram claimed that 2,362 of the 9,696 MPTC seats and 126 of the 652 ZPTC seats were declared unanimously during the previous government's tenure, alleging that opposition candidates had been denied a fair opportunity to contest. He compared these figures with the 2014 elections, when he said only 0.09% of ZPTC seats were uncontested.
The figures and circumstances cited by the TDP spokesperson would need to be checked against official election records to establish a like-for-like comparison.
Pattabhi Ram accused YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy of misrepresenting a recent Supreme Court directive concerning the local body elections.
Referring to Special Leave Petition No. 37476/2026, he said the court had asked the State Election Commission to consider representations and take an independent decision, rather than directing an automatic postponement of the elections.
The precise scope of the court's directions and their implications for the election schedule would need to be established from the order itself.
He also criticised Jagan Mohan Reddy over his past remarks concerning the Election Commission, alleging inconsistency in the opposition leader's current position.
Pattabhi Ram said senior TDP leaders Varla Ramaiah and Ashok Babu had submitted complaints to the State Election Commission over alleged violations during the election process.
He warned that the government would take action against those found responsible for violence or attempts to disturb public order, saying the police were acting under the Chief Minister's directions.
The TDP spokesperson appealed to voters to support candidates of the ruling alliance in municipal, MPTC, ZPTC and sarpanch elections, arguing that the coalition's development agenda should take precedence over political confrontation.
The allegations come amid an intensifying political dispute between the TDP-led coalition and the YSRCP over the conduct of local body elections in Andhra Pradesh. Responses from the YSRCP and independent verification of the incidents would be necessary to establish the full circumstances.
