YSRCP urges AP poll body to include all voters for local elections

YSRCP's Lella Appi Reddy urged the AP State Election Commission to use electoral rolls updated to July 15, 2026, for local body polls. He argued using an older list would deny eligible citizens their right to vote in the democratic process.

YSRCP State General Secretary and MLC Lella Appi Reddy (Photo/X/@YSRCParty)

YSRCP urges SEC to update electoral rolls for local polls

Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) State General Secretary and Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Lella Appi Reddy on Saturday urged the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission to ensure that all eligible voters enrolled in the Election Commission of India's electoral rolls up to July 15, 2026, are included in the electoral rolls for the forthcoming local body elections.

In a representation submitted to the State Election Commissioner, Appi Reddy said the Commission has indicated that electoral rolls as on February 5, 2026, would be considered for the local body polls.

He pointed out that several eligible citizens were duly enrolled in the electoral rolls after February 5 and up to July 15, when the Special Intensive Revision process commenced and voter registration was understood to have been frozen.

He said these voters had completed the prescribed enrolment process and their names had become part of the official electoral record. Excluding them by adopting an earlier version of the rolls would deny eligible citizens their opportunity to participate in the democratic process.

YSRCP requested the State Election Commission to adopt the electoral rolls updated up to July 15, 2026, including all approved supplementary additions and corrections, and issue uniform instructions to all concerned authorities. The party also sought publication of the updated local body electoral rolls sufficiently in advance so that voters can verify their names and seek correction of any omissions.

YSRCP's Legal Cell to act as 'protective shield' for candidates

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, YSRCP State Coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Saturday called on the party's Legal Cell to act as a "protective shield" for candidates in the upcoming local-body elections and provide legal support from nomination to counting, a release said.

Addressing the Legal Cell meeting at the YSRCP Central Office in Tadepalli as the chief guest, Sajjala said district-level legal war rooms, constituency-level task forces and a state-level coordination mechanism should be established immediately.

YSRCP General Secretaries Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy, Lella Appireddy, Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy and Pudi Srihari, Legal Cell State President Malasani Manohar Reddy, Working President Sudarshan Reddy, State Committee members, district presidents and Assembly constituency presidents participated in the meeting.

Sajjala questioned the government’s hurry to conduct local elections before completion of the SIR process and publication of the final electoral rolls. "Conducting elections before newly eligible voters are included would affect their constitutional right to vote," he said.

He also demanded that the BC Reservation Commission report be placed in the public domain and that the basis for fixing reservation percentages be disclosed, as per a release.

He said the real electoral battle begins at the nomination stage. "Candidates and alternative candidates must keep caste certificates, NOCs and other documents ready in advance. Sensitive areas, nomination centres, polling stations and strong rooms should be identified and closely monitored. Every violation by officials, police or others must be digitally recorded and escalated for legal, media and Election Commission action.

Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy said the Legal Cell had stood by party workers facing cases, arrests and harassment.

Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy said lawyers must ensure that no nomination is rejected on technical grounds and provide immediate legal remedies wherever necessary.

Malasani Manohar Reddy said 24-hour legal assistance should be ensured across the state and task forces completed without delay.

The meeting resolved to provide complete legal protection to YSRCP candidates from nomination to counting. (ANI)

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