The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday directed the Collectors and Superintendents of Police of seven districts — Kadapa, Annamayya, Tirupati, Anantapur, Prakasam, Palnadu and Markapuram — to strictly implement the orders issued by the Supreme Court earlier in the day on the urban local body (ULB) elections, The Hindu reported. State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha gave the directions at a video conference attended by SEC Secretary A. Mallikarjuna and Inspector General of Police B. Raja Kumari.

The SEC said the election process in all Municipal Corporations and Municipalities would continue as per schedule, except in 19 corporations and municipalities in the seven districts, where nominations were marred by violent clashes and large-scale complaints of intimidation and physical attacks. Whether elections in those 19 bodies go ahead on the current schedule will depend on a decision the SEC is yet to take.

The directions follow the Supreme Court's order on Wednesday, in which a vacation bench of Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana asked the SEC to decide by October 22 whether to extend the nomination deadline in places where candidates were allegedly prevented from filing their papers, ANI reported. The court postponed publication of the final list of candidates until October 25, said that any extension must give candidates at least 48 hours, directed the state DGP to ensure police protection for candidates and CCTV coverage at nomination centres, and posted the matter for October 27.

The case was brought by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), which alleged — as an allegation the court has not tested — that violence and intimidation stopped many of its candidates from filing nominations between October 16 and 18. The party's counsel told the court that 63.5 per cent of its candidates were not allowed to submit nominations in 19 urban local bodies, Bar and Bench reported. The state government and the SEC contested the allegations, and the court left each complaint to be examined by the Commission case by case rather than ordering a blanket extension.

Polling in the 100 urban local bodies — 13 municipal corporations and 87 municipalities and nagar panchayats — is scheduled for October 28, with counting on October 30. The SEC's decision on the 19 affected bodies, expected after it examines the complaints by Thursday, will decide whether that timetable holds in the seven districts.