Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh) [India], August 8 (ANI): The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission informed the High Court that it has taken all necessary steps to ensure free, fair, and peaceful conduct of the upcoming local body by-elections scheduled for August 10, 2025. This was in response to a writ petition filed by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) General Secretary Lella Appi Reddy, who sought directions for stronger safeguards during the election process.
The petition highlighted the need for CCTV surveillance, webcasting, police protection for contesting candidates, deployment of independent observers, control rooms, and full video documentation. It urged that these measures be implemented to maintain a level playing field.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, slammed the Election Commission of India (ECI), alleging that the elections are “choreographed”.
Addressing a press conference, Rahul Gandhi said that Congress won other seats while Mahadevapura was swept by the BJP.
Rahul Gandhi alleged, “Elections are choreographed… Our internal polling told us we would win 16 seats in Karnataka; we won nine. We then focused on seven unexpected losses. We chose one Lok Sabha, and our team decided we could only focus on one Vidhan Sabha (seat). So we focused on Mahadevapur…”.
“We found 1,00,250 votes stolen. Stolen in five different ways. Duplicate voters, fake and invalid addresses, and bulk voters in a single address, on a building with 50-60 people living. But when we go there, no record of those people living there. One family living in that house,” he added.
Doubling down on his ‘vote theft’ claim, Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that times would change and punishment would surely be meted out to those who were involved in the “scam”.
In a post on X, Rahul Gandhi said, “Vote theft is not just an electoral scam, it is a major betrayal committed against the Constitution and democracy. Let the nation’s culprits hear this – times will change, punishment will surely be meted out.”
Earlier on July 27, Former Lok Sabha Speaker and Congress leader Meira Kumar expressed “hope” and said that it was the duty of the Election Commission of India to fulfil its responsibility of conducting free and fair polls in the country.
“Our Constitution has entrusted the responsibility of conducting elections to the Election Commission. Whether at the national or state level, it is their solemn duty to conduct fair elections and to do so in a manner that ensures the complete trust of the country’s people. The Constitution has given the Election Commission the responsibility to maintain this trust. I hope they will work towards this,” Meira Kumar told reporters while speaking on Special Intensive Revision being carried out in Bihar. (ANI)
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