Why political parties must be kept out of local body polls
Holding elections to urban local bodies on party lines is the cause of all the ills in the system, as parties raise the stakes unnecessarily
Clashes between TDP and YSRCP in Vijayawada. File
Recent elections to urban local bodies (ULBs) in Andhra Pradesh were marred by violence and allegations that the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the official machinery intimidated Opposition candidates and manipulated the poll process.
In a rare intervention, the Supreme Court had directed the State Election Commission (SEC) to postpone the publication of the final list of candidates till October 25, in view of the allegation made by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) that its candidates faced violence and they were blocked from filing nominations. Consequently, the SEC rescheduled the polls from October 28 to November 1. It was another matter that the TDP-led alliance won hands down.
Analysis / politics / Andhra Pradesh Local Body Elections 2026 / local elections / election / political parties
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