Jagan Wants Court To Appoint Amicus Curiae To Monitor Local Body Elections

Vijayawada:YSRC president and former chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has sought appointment of amicus curiae to supervise the ongoing local body elections, in addition to deployment of central forces and CCTV coverage of the election process.

Speaking to media here on Friday, he charged that the NDA government led by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu is violating Supreme Court directives and allowing attacks on YSRC candidates trying to file their nominations for contesting the local body elections.

Jagan Mohan Reddy reiterated that nomination papers from YSRC candidates are continuing to be snatched by alliance goons. He accused police of taking sides in the matter, threatening the democratic process.

At the press conference, the former chief minister released a book titled “Pachamookala Dadulu (Attacks by Yellow Mobs),” containing photographs documenting the alleged attacks.

He stated, “We have been reporting all incidents to concerned officials. We will also move courts as democracy is at stake because of the prevailing anarchy. Telugu Desam Party is rigging nominations and even filing papers on behalf of YSRC to add to the number of nominations to mislead the courts.”

Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that signatures of YSRC candidates are being forged to announce withdrawal of their nominations.

“Due to the prevailing anarchy and democracy being mocked consistently, the court should order appointment of amicus curiae to supervise elections and provide protection to all contestants,”

Referring to the party-based elections, the YSRC president questioned that when his party has released its list of candidates why its nominees are being prevented from filing nominations. He went on to allege that the State Election Commission (SEC) is undermining Supreme Court’s directives by selecting only a few centres for fresh nominations.

Jagan Mohan Reddy charged that while YSRC had complained that filing of nominations had been obstructed in 19 municipalities, SEC had ordered filing of nomination only in a few wards of Tirupati, Kadapa, Rajampeta, and Mydukuru.

He accused the state government of attempting to keep YSRC out of the electoral contest by even rejecting nominations successfully filed by its nominees during scrutiny as well as resorting to other malpractices.