Ex-DGP accused TDP and YSRCP of ‘hijacking’ local body polls

Metro India News | ONGOLE 

Former Director General of Police and All India Bahujan Samaj Party (AIBSP) National Coordinator Dr J. Purnachandra Rao on Thursday accused the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) of treating local body elections as their exclusive political domain. He said the newly formed Social Democratic Front (SDF) aimed to secure equitable political representation for Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Muslims and Christians.

Dr Rao criticized the authorities for announcing election schedules and seat reservations at short notice, leaving prospective candidates with barely three days to file nominations. He alleged that the Chandrababu Naidu government was following practices similar to those adopted during the previous Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy administration. He also alleged intimidation of independent candidates and procedural obstacles in securing election-related permissions.

Questioning successive governments’ development priorities, Dr Rao said large sections of the population in Ongole, Chirala, Guntur, Vijayawada and Eluru continued to live in slums without adequate housing, drinking water, sanitation and basic infrastructure. He said urban development should be measured by improvements in the lives of disadvantaged communities rather than announcements of capital cities and major infrastructure projects.

Calls for equitable legislative representation

Citing his analysis of legislative representation since 1952, Dr Rao said members of the Reddy and Kamma communities had accounted for 1,207 of approximately 2,900 Assembly memberships, while Backward Classes had secured fewer than 500. He said BC representation in the present 175-member Andhra Pradesh Assembly stood at approximately 40 seats, substantially below their estimated share of the population.

He also criticized land allocations in the Karedu area, alleging that successive governments had favored a company associated with Visweswara Reddy. He called for protection of the land and livelihood rights of local Yerukala, Yanadi, Yadava and tribal families. Dr Rao urged young people from historically underrepresented communities to prepare for political leadership with the same commitment they demonstrate while competing for civil services and other government employment.

According to him, candidates supported by the SDF have come forward in Ongole, Chirala, Guntur, Vijayawada, Eluru and Visakhapatnam.He called for greater cooperation among BC, SC, ST, Muslim and Christian communities to address their shared social, economic and political concerns.