Ankara’s provincial election body on Friday rejected the main opposition’s appeal against the results of the March 30 local election, reports the Turkish Anadolu agency. 

Zeki Alcin, the chairman of the opposition Republican People’s Party in Ankara, said the board did not offer any justification for rejecting the appeal.

The party is expected to appeal to the Supreme Election Committee, the report said.

The opposition party filed an objection to the Ankara board on April 3, requesting the recounting of votes and a reassessment of cancelled votes.

Turkey’s political parties have applied for recounts of local election votes in several cities including Ankara, Istanbul, Adana, Yalova and Antalya, according to Anadolu.

The poll on Sunday was seen as a test of Prime Minster Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s weakening grip on power, as corruption scandals and accusations of authoritarianism rock his once-secure administration.

Voting day was a tense one, as opposition and rights groups accused Erdogan’s government of working hard to rig the elections.

Social media outlets were flooded with pictures of opposition supporters allegedly beaten by security forces, while other activists have posted what appears to be bags of pre-stamped ballot papers for the AKP – the Islamist party of Erdogan – in Istanbul.

Erdogan’s party ultimately took a strong lead in the early counting of the votes, which was enough for the embattled prime minister to declare victory in the vote and threaten his rivals that they will “pay the price.”