The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission halted polls across 100 urban local bodies following Supreme Court orders on October 21. Clashes between TDP and YSRCP workers led to violence during nomination filing. The polls will now be held on November 1, as the state works to resolve many pending complaints.

The Opposition alleges its candidates were prevented from filing nominations, while Chandrababu Naidu accuses the YSRCP of fomenting violence.

The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) has halted the election process across 100 urban local bodies, following directions from the Supreme Court. The orders were issued late on October 21, stopping proceedings in 13 municipal corporations and 87 municipalities and nagar panchayats.

Amid reports of violence between workers of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the Opposition YSRCP, and the latter's allegation that its candidates were being stopped from filing nominations, the court asked the state police chief to provide protection to those seeking it and asked the SEC to resolve the Opposition party's complaints. On October 23, the YSRCP again moved the top court that the state government was flouting the court's directions.

On Saturday, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu hit out at the YSRCP, accusing it of attempts to disrupt the local body polls through violence.

What is happening during nomination filing?

TDP and YSRCP workers are clashing near nomination centres when rival candidates come face to face. This turf war led to many YSRCP candidates allegedly not being able to file their nominations, after which the party approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking a one-day extension to the October 18 deadline to file nominations. However, the High Court rejected the plea. The Jagan Mohan Reddy-led party then moved the Supreme Court, filing a Special Leave Petition challenging the High Court order. YSRCP candidates were being attacked, intimidated, and prevented from filing nomination papers, it alleged.

On October 21, the court directed the SEC to resolve the complaints and issued directions to the DGP. The court also directed the SEC to postpone publication of the final list of contesting candidates to October 25. The polls will now be held on November 1 instead of October 28 as initially decided. The state polling body also extended the nominations deadline by 48 hours for four civic bodies, including the Kadapa Municipal Corporation, the Rajampet Municipal Corporation, the Tirupati Municipal Corporation, and the Mydukur Municipality. Nominations here were accepted on October 23 and 24.

Is the violence still on?

There were no reports of violence on Saturday. However, over the preceding two days, 45 incidents of violence -- clashes and destruction of nomination papers -- were reported across the state, including 14 incidents in eight districts on October 23 (Friday), according to DGP Harish Kumar Gupta.

The day before, the police prevented YSRCP leaders from organising long processions and accompanying candidates. YSRCP's Kadapa MP Y S Avinash Reddy was taken into preventive custody while he was preparing to accompany candidates. Several YSRCP leaders, including former minister S Sailajanath and Ketireddy Peddreddy, were placed under house arrest in Anantapur.

Police officials claimed this was done to prevent any flare-ups and to avoid any clashes with TDP or Jana Sena Party candidates and their supporters. However, as it happened during urban local body nominations, at several places the candidates of the two parties and their supporters clashed, forcing the police to intervene.

What are TDP and YSRCP saying?

YSRCP's state coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said 76 incidents of violence occurred across 11 districts during the filing of nominations for the urban local body polls and elections to the Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs).

Reddy alleged that the TDP and the Jana Sena Party's workers were "afraid of losing" and thus preventing YSRCP candidates from filing their nominations. He accused the police of helping the TDP "intimidate and threaten" the YSRCP candidates.

The ruling alliance dismissed these allegations. Naidu on Saturday alleged that the YSRCP had "created unrest" in Punganur, Rayachoti, Kanigiri, Darsi, Kadapa, Thamballapalle and Tirupati, having "hired groups from Punjab". He alleged that nomination papers were snatched at the Kanigiri nomination centre and the Jana Sena office was attacked in Thamballapalle. He also accused the YSRCP of "spreading false information through its own media to damage the state's reputation".

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"They (YSRCP) have tried to create hindrances in local body polls from day one. YSRCP is resorting to criminal politics," Naidu said, alleging that a YSRCP MP had run over NDA cadres with his vehicle. "The MP's car contained liquor bottles and weapons," said the CM.

"Fake propaganda was being spread by YSRCP and the party supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is using his own media outlet to tarnish the state's image. They (YSRCP) were indulging in violence and also filing petitions in the courts. By approaching courts with fake litigations, they (YSRCP) have become criminal litigants. They gave wrong information to the High Court and also the Supreme Court," he said.

TDP leaders, including Uma Mahashwara Rao, Varla Ramaiah, and Lokesh Naidu, have also hit out at the YSRCP, accusing the Opposition party of inciting violence to disrupt the election process.