Andhra Pradesh Election Commission denies local poll delay reports

The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) has dismissed reports claiming a two-month delay in announcing the schedule for local body elections. State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha clarified that such information, circulating on social media and WhatsApp, is false and unauthenticated.

False reports had suggested that the Commission would only proceed with the election process after obtaining court clearances regarding electoral rolls and reservations. The SEC emphasized that any official announcement regarding the election schedule will be made exclusively through official press conferences or press releases.

In response to the repeated circulation of fabricated news—including instances involving tampered letterheads with official logos—the SEC has lodged a formal complaint with the cyber crime police. The Commission is seeking a thorough investigation to identify those responsible for spreading misleading information and is calling for punitive action under the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023.