Sajjala Ramakrishna Calls for Legal War Rooms to Support YSRCP Candidates in Local Body Polls

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) State Coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy has called for a strong legal support system to assist party candidates during the upcoming local body elections, from nomination filing to vote counting. He urged the party’s legal cell to establish district-level legal war rooms and constituency-level task forces to address election-related issues promptly.

Speaking at a legal cell meeting at the party’s central office in Tadepalli, Sajjala said the legal wing should function as a protective shield for candidates and party workers and actively monitor the election process. He alleged that party workers had faced false cases, attacks and harassment after the 2024 elections, appreciating lawyers who had supported them during difficult times.

Sajjala criticised the government for allegedly rushing to conduct local body elections before completing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. He maintained that elections should be held only after the final voter lists were published, warning that newly eligible voters could lose their opportunity to exercise their constitutional rights. He also demanded that the government release the commission’s report on Backward Class (BC) reservations and disclose the criteria used to determine reservation percentages.

Stressing advance preparation, Sajjala asked party leaders to ensure that candidates obtain caste certificates, no-objection certificates and other required documents before nominations begin. Alternative candidates should also be kept ready. He called for digitally maintaining lawyers’ contact details at village, mandal, constituency and district levels.

The party should identify sensitive areas, nomination centres, polling stations and strong rooms in advance. Complaints of electoral irregularities must be supported by documented evidence, with appropriate action taken before the State Election Commission or courts, wherever necessary.

YSRCP general secretary Ponnavolu Sudhakar Reddy urged the party to recognise lawyers who had supported its workers during legal challenges. Another general secretary, Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, stressed candidate awareness of election rules, nomination procedures and documentation to prevent technical rejections.

Legal cell state president Malasani Manohar Reddy called for protecting democratic and constitutional rights, including addressing nomination scrutiny issues, police station-related matters and bind-over cases. He also urged the party to complete constituency committees quickly and ensure 24-hour legal assistance during the elections.

YSRCP general secretaries Lella Appi Reddy and Pudi Srihari, legal cell working president Sudarshan Reddy, state committee members and district and constituency-level leaders attended the meeting.