Andhra Pradesh Local Body Polls: 14 Cases Registered Across 8 Districts as 40,000 Security Personnel Deploy
On the final day of nominations for Andhra Pradesh’s urban local body elections, the state police registered 14 election-related cases across eight districts, identifying 17 individuals involved in violations, according to Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Kumar Gupta (IPS: 1992: AP).
The security deployment involves approximately 40,000 police personnel and 36 platoons of the Andhra Pradesh Special Police (APSP) stationed at election offices and sensitive zones statewide.
District-Wise Breakdown of Incidents
The 14 reported incidents of obstruction, intimidation, and disturbances during the nomination process span the following districts:
Palnadu: 3 incidents
Kadapa: 3 incidents
Anantapur: 2 incidents
Nellore: 2 incidents
Kurnool: 1 incident
Annamayya: 1 incident
Tirupati: 1 incident
Markapuram: 1 incident
Security and Enforcement Measures
To maintain law and order, DGP Harish Kumar Gupta has directed Police Commissioners and Superintendents of Police (SPs) to supervise personnel closely and ensure strict, impartial enforcement.
Digital Evidence Scrutiny: Field units have been instructed to analyze CCTV footage, drone recordings, body-worn camera feeds, and public or media videos from nomination centers.
Candidate Escorts: Active police protection and security escorts are being extended to candidates where required, in close coordination with district administrations. Supervisory Accountability: The DGP emphasized that supervisory failures or delays in intervention will face strict internal scrutiny.
Background: Supreme Court Intervention
The enhanced security and police oversight arrive amid ongoing legal scrutiny surrounding the local body nomination process. Following petitions alleging that candidates faced intimidation or obstruction from filing papers, the Supreme Court directed the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission to defer publishing the final list of contesting candidates to October 25, 2026, and to review grievances. Consequently, the nomination window was extended for specified wards across four urban local bodies.
