'Loktantra Bachao' In Hyderabad, Poll Rigging In Andhra: CJP's Ranka Takes Dig At Shah, Naidu

Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) leader Ashutosh Ranka on Tuesday accused the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led government in Andhra Pradesh of electoral rigging, alleging booth capturing as counting of votes in the state's municipal elections got underway.

Taking a swipe at Union Home Minister Amit Shah over the BJP's 'Loktantra Bachao' rally in Hyderabad, Ranka shared visuals on social media that he claimed showed booth capturing and electoral malpractice in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. He also targeted Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his associates, accusing them of setting new benchmarks in what he called "electoral autocracy".

"While Amit Shah is busy holding "Loktantra Bachao" rally in Hyderabad, here are the visuals of booth capturing and electoral rigging in the neighbouring Andhra. Chandrababu Naidu and Co are setting new benchmarsks of electoral autocracy," Ranka wrote in a post on X.

While Amit Shah is busy holding "Loktantra Bachao" rally in Hyderabad, here are the visuals of booth capturing and electoral rigging in the neighbouring Andhra. @ncbn and Co are setting new benchmarsks of electoral autocracy. @VijayMallangi https://t.co/R4hRsOehXE

— Ashutosh Ranka (@AshutoshRanka) November 3, 2026

The allegations came as votes polled in 92 urban local bodies (ULBs) across Andhra Pradesh were being counted on Tuesday. The counting began at 8 am amid tight security arrangements.

Counting Underway In 92 Urban Local Bodies

The counting process is being conducted at 138 centres across the state, covering 13 municipal corporations and 79 municipalities and Nagar Panchayats. According to State Election Commission (SEC) officials, the first results were expected after 11 am.

The poll body deployed 47,817 officials and arranged 556 counting halls and 6,831 counting tables. It also installed 1,372 CCTV cameras at strong rooms and counting halls to monitor the process.

Polling was held on Sunday, with the SEC recording a turnout of 62.16 per cent. Of the 96,89,061 registered voters, 60,22,411 exercised their franchise.

The elections will decide the fate of 520 candidates contesting for mayoral and chairperson posts, along with 10,105 candidates in the corporator and councillor contests.

Elections for chairpersons in 17 municipalities and Nagar Panchayats were unanimous. In eight urban local bodies, including Allagadda, Dachepalli, Darsi, Gurajala, Kamalapuram, Piduguralla, Proddatur and Rayachoti, both chairpersons and ward members were elected unopposed. The ruling NDA coalition secured these positions.

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TDP, Jana Sena And BJP Contest Polls Under Seat-Sharing Arrangement

The ruling NDA coalition is seeking to retain its political advantage in the state, while the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) is looking to recover after its defeat in the 2024 Assembly elections.

As part of the seat-sharing arrangement among NDA partners, the TDP contested mayoral posts in 10 municipal corporations, while the Jana Sena Party (JSP) contested two and the BJP one.

For the 70 chairperson posts where polling was held, the TDP fielded 49 candidates, the JSP 17 and the BJP four.

The ruling coalition sought a fresh mandate on the basis of its development and welfare initiatives over the past two-and-a-half years. The YSRCP, meanwhile, highlighted what it described as the coalition government's failures.

The municipal elections were initially scheduled for October 28 but were postponed following directions from the Supreme Court. The move came after violent incidents prevented several candidates from filing their nominations.

Amit Shah Leads 'Loktantra Bachao' March In Hyderabad

Ranka's post also referred to Amit Shah's 'Loktantra Bachao' rally in Hyderabad, which the BJP organised as part of its nationwide campaign against the INDIA bloc's opposition to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The Union Home Minister led a 1.5-km foot march on Monday, beginning at the Babu Jagjivan Ram statue in Basheerbagh and concluding at Moazzam Jahi Market. He was accompanied by Union Ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Telangana BJP president N Ramchander Rao, and other party leaders and workers.

Carrying the national flag, Shah participated in the march organised under the slogan 'Save Democracy, Remove Anarchy'. He was also scheduled to address a gathering at the end of the procession.

The BJP's campaign came a day after the INDIA bloc held a rally at Delhi's Ramlila Maidan on November 1, targeting the BJP-led Centre and the Election Commission over alleged electoral irregularities and vote theft.

Ranka's remarks brought the focus to Andhra Pradesh's municipal elections as counting continued, with the CJP leader accusing the TDP leadership of electoral malpractice. The booth-capturing and rigging claims in his post were allegations made by Ranka and were not independently established by the details shared in the tweet.