Supreme Court Delays Andhra Poll Candidate List Until October 26

The final candidate list for Andhra Pradesh’s urban polls was due Wednesday. Instead, the Supreme Court ordered the state election body to hold it until October 26. The court found the opposition YSR Congress Party had made a preliminary case that some candidates were blocked from filing nominations. The order does not establish that obstruction occurred, but it puts the complaints under review before the list is published. ^1,2

October 26 is also when the court will next hear the matter. The bench told the Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission to examine complaints from YSR Congress Party candidates, review supporting material and decide by Thursday whether to extend the nomination deadline. It can do so where law-and-order problems prevented candidates from filing. The commission must report back to the court. The justices also ordered the state police chief to provide enough security for candidates and election offices. ^1,2

That security matters because the party says its candidates faced violence and intimidation in Punganur, Rayachoti, Kadapa and Tirupati during the October 16-18 nomination period. It alleges papers were snatched and torn in Kadapa and candidates were stopped from reaching nomination offices in Tirupati. These are allegations, not findings by the court. The dispute pits candidates’ chance to take part in an election against the need to keep the published election schedule in place. ^3,4

The commission, not the court, will make the first decision on whether anyone should get extra time. The Supreme Court has asked the poll panel to assess the complaints and act where it finds candidates could not file because of law-and-order problems. Polling is scheduled for October 28, so the commission’s decision by Thursday will come just days before voters go to the polls. ^2,4