Evening Pulse: SEC waits on the government's word as allies bargain into the night

Andhra Pradesh began the day expecting a date and ends it holding a condition. After meeting political parties in Vijayawada, State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha said the local body schedule will come only after the state government confirms it is ready and the departments concerned issue their gazette notifications, The Hans India and Andhra Jyothy reported. Several outlets had pencilled in Wednesday for the announcement. The Commission itself did not repeat that date, so the timetable now rests on a signal from the Secretariat.

The meeting we flagged this morning drew 19 of the state's 20 recognised parties, according to Andhra Jyothy and The Hans India. Neither named the party that stayed away. Their requests were practical rather than dramatic: caste and nativity certificates issued quickly, security for candidates at nomination centres, wide CCTV coverage, special police in sensitive and Naxal-affected areas, a curb on liquor flowing to voters, a schedule that avoids festival days, and online submission of nomination papers. Punetha said the Commission would examine every suggestion. ETV Bharat reported that he told parties not to worry about certificates and promised tight security in sensitive areas.

The YSRCP did not leave its case to the meeting room. NTV Telugu and Telugu360 reported this afternoon that the party has two petitions before the Andhra Pradesh High Court. The first, which we reported at 1 pm, seeks paramilitary forces at polling stations under the Commission's watch rather than the state police, along with round-the-clock webcasting, CCTV and micro-observers. The second alleges that officials are deliberately holding back the caste certificates, no-objection certificates and no-dues certificates that its would-be candidates need, and asks the court to order their prompt issue. No hearing date had been reported by evening. The government has not answered the allegations publicly.

The certificate complaint is the one to note. In the Commission's meeting, parties across the spectrum asked for faster certificates too, which suggests the bottleneck is felt beyond one party, even if only the YSRCP alleges it is deliberate. Telugu360 read the petitions as groundwork for a possible boycott; that is the outlet's interpretation, and the party has said nothing of the kind.

The alliance talks we flagged this afternoon did happen, and they are still going. TDP state president Palla Srinivasa Rao and minister Nimmala Ramanaidu spent about an hour with Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Jana Sena leaders including Nadendla Manohar at the party office, then reported back to Chandrababu Naidu at Undavalli, ETV Bharat and Andhra Jyothy reported. BJP state president PVN Madhav met Naidu separately, his second such meeting in two days, according to an IANS report carried by ap7am. Naidu wants Jana Sena's share settled before the BJP's. ETV Bharat said the three parties' leaders were to meet at the chief minister's residence at 8 pm. Andhra Jyothy expects clarity within two days. No seat numbers have been confirmed by any partner.

In Hyderabad, YS Bhaskar Reddy, an accused in the 2019 murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy and father of Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy, appeared before the Enforcement Directorate this morning, ETV Bharat and Andhra Jyothy reported. Andhra Jyothy said bank statements from before and after the killing were submitted. The agency has not said what it learned, and he has not commented. Avinash Reddy is due on Wednesday, Deccan Chronicle reported. Neither man has been convicted. On the ED's plea for day-to-day trial in the Jagan Mohan Reddy cases, heard by the Telangana High Court this morning, we could find no report of an order by 7 pm.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay made his first official visit to the state as chief minister. He prayed at the Kanaka Durga temple and then met Naidu at Undavalli, with ministers P Narayana and Nimmala Ramanaidu present, ap7am and ETV Bharat reported. Chennai's share of Krishna water under the Telugu Ganga project and a Godavari-Krishna-Cauvery link were on the table. ETV Bharat said Andhra has released 4.08 TMC to Chennai this year and is weighing more against rainfall and storage. Neither government had announced an outcome by evening.