Overview
- State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha issued the directives at a Vijayawada press conference on Saturday and warned negligent officials would face suspension or transfer.
- Officials were told to install CCTV at all nomination centres, retain footage as required by the High Court, and restrict access to the candidate plus three authorised persons.
- District collectors, police commissioners, superintendents of police and municipal commissioners were ordered to provide adequate security and immediately report law-and-order issues.
- Andhra Pradesh police, led by DGP Harish Kumar Gupta and IGP B. Rajakumari, have put forces on high alert, identified sensitive areas and deployed district SPs to respond to incidents such as the one in Annamayya.
- The SEC demanded inter-department coordination to ensure a level playing field for filings and to allow voters to exercise their franchise freely, a step that could deter violence and speed dispute resolution during the nomination phase.