The Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh on Friday refuted the rumours doing rounds on the social media that only those with more than two children will be eligible to contest in these elections.
The social media reports said the government is planning to bring in such a regulation.
The main reason for these rumours is the repeated statements of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu urging people to have more children in recent public speeches.
In a fact-check clarification, the government categorically stated that the ongoing propaganda — that "only those with more than two children are eligible to contest local elections as per a decision by Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu" — is false.
To counter this, the government shared a news clip claiming that Naidu said those with fewer than two children are disqualified from contesting, and labelled it as fake.
The clarification further noted that in 1994, due to the then-prevailing conditions, a regulation was introduced stating that those with more than two children are disqualified from contesting local elections.
However, the current coalition government amended this law in February 2025, removing the restriction from the Panchayati Raj Act.
This amendment came into force on February 11, 2025, and a gazette notification from the Law Department was issued accordingly.
The government reiterated that, as per the amended rule, even individuals with more than two children are now eligible to contest in local elections. For added clarity, the government shared the relevant Government Order (G.O.) as well.
It condemned the misleading propaganda that only those with more than two children are eligible, calling it fake.
The government urged the public not to believe such false claims, and warned that legal action will be taken against those spreading such misinformation.
It emphasized that those responsible for such fake campaigns will be held accountable for any further consequences.
