The simultaneous state Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh ended in large-scale violence on Monday. Several constituencies witnessed a war-like situation as clashes erupted between TDP and YSRCP workers. Scores of people were injured in clashes.
Rubber bullets fired
Dozens of TDP workers attacked the house of Narsaraopeta YSRCP MLA Gopireddy Srinivasa Reddy with sticks and stones, damaging the windshields of the car in which he was travelling. Earlier, YSRCP workers attacked the vehicle of TDP candidate Aravind Babu. The police had to respond with rubber bullets to disperse the mob.
Petrol bombs hurled
In Tangeda village of Dachepalli mandal of Palnadu district, YSRCP and TDP workers clashed over a vote outside a polling booth, exchanging blows. The two groups attacked each other with country-made explosives and petrol bombs. Police had to resort to lathicharge and teargas shells to disperse the mob.
Ambulances unavailable
In PWD colony of Macherla, YSRCP workers attacked TDP leader Keshava Reddy and his supporters. Scores of TDP workers who were injured in the attack were shifted to hospitals in private vehicles, as ambulances were not available immediately.
Anantapur SP’s vehicle attacked
Tension gripped Tadipatri in Anantapur district as the supporters of the YSRCP and the TDP clashed near a polling booth. Both the groups pelted stones at each other. The vehicle of the superintendent of police was also attacked. YSRCP workers attacked TDP MLA candidate Asmith Reddy. A BSF jawan was injured in stone pelting.
Naidu blames Jagan
Posting the video of stone-pelting on X, TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu stated that the goons nurtured by chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for the past five years were trying to create an atmosphere of fear among the people so that voter turnout could be brought down to benefit YSRCP.
Naidu stated that YSRCP workers resorted to attacks on the booth agents of the TDP alliance in Punganuru, Macherla, Railway Koduru, Maidukuru, Amudalavalasa, and Tadikonda. He condemned YSRCP MP candidate Kilaru Rosaiah for driving his car over an SC woman and injuring her and demanded the election commission to take action against those responsible.
He alleged that YSRCP workers attacked the vehicles of TDP Narsaraopeta MP candidate Krishnadevarayulu and Macherla TDP MLA candidate Julakanti Brahmareddy.
Clash over ‘rigging’
The TDP alleged that YSRCP leaders attacked TDP and Jana Sena workers in Tirupati when they tried to resist attempts for rigging. The police had to fire in the air to disperse the mob.
Having received information about a rigging incident at a polling booth in Nallasingayyagaripally village of Nallamada mandal of Sri Sathya Sai district, TDP candidate Palle Sindhura Reddy, along with former minister Palle Raghunath Reddy went to the polling booth.
On seeing them, YSRCP workers questioned them how they could enter the native village of their candidate and tried to attack the TDP leaders. Raghunath Reddy resisted the attack on Sindhura Reddy, and just when the situation was turning worse, the security forces stationed there took the TDP leaders away from there.
Tension prevailed at a polling booth in Tadipatri, when long-time faction rivals YSRCP MLA Pedda Reddy and former MLA JC Prabhakar Reddy came face-to-face. Both stood facing each other, keeping others wondering what could happen.
When the police tried convincing them to leave the venue, both the leaders were reluctant to leave first. Finally, the police personnel managed to disperse them.
Both parties have blamed each other for the incidents of violence.
120 incident of violence, EC told
Chandrababu Naidu wrote a letter to the Election Commission that over 120 incidents of violence were reported during the polling. He alleged that at all places, YSRCP leaders resorted to violence and that police acted with bias.
On the other hand, the YSRCP alleged that TDP men attacked and injured a YSRCP member at a polling booth in Ongole constituency.
A voter turnout of over 68.2 percent was registered in 25 Lok Sabha constituencies in Andhra Pradesh and the 175-member state assembly, the Election Commission said on Monday, May 13.
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