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Ahead of the Pulivendula zilla parishad territorial constituency (ZPTC) bye-election in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa district on August 12, the YSR Congress Party has accused the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of “misusing police machinery to orchestrate violence, intimidating political opponents, and trying to manipulate the electoral process.”
The ZPTC bye-poll was necessitated by the death of YSRCP leader T Maheshwar Reddy. While YSRCP has fielded his son Hemanth Reddy, TDP’s candidate is Latha Reddy, wife of former MLC and the ruling party’s Pulivendula constituency in-charge, BTech Ravi.
Pulivendula is the hometown of YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The Assembly constituency has been a bastion of the YS family for nearly 50 years now.
With YSRCP’s dramatic defeat in the 2024 Assembly election, it only retained two of the seven Assembly segments in the Kadapa Lok Sabha constituency. The Pulivendula ZPTC bye-poll has now turned into a major prestige battle between the TDP and YSRCP, peppered with sporadic incidents of violence. Vontimitta is also going to a ZPTC bye-poll as its member, YSRCP leader Akepati Amarnath Reddy, resigned after winning the Rajampet Assembly election last year.
The poll campaign is being led by Kadapa MP and former Chief Minister Jagan's cousin, YS Avinash Reddy.
In a complaint to the Director General of Police (DGP) on Sunday, August 10, YSRCP has alleged that at least six polling booths have been shifted in such a way that voters are forced to travel several kilometres to neighbouring villages to cast their votes.
“This move is aimed at influencing polling, preventing people from voting, or enabling rigging. The TDP is executing this strategy with the full support of the police and certain officials,” YSRCP has alleged.
The Opposition party has also alleged that the police failed to stop an attack by TDP members on YSRCP MLC Ramesh Yadav on August 6. Following the incident, several YSRCP leaders themselves have been booked in various cases, which the party claims are based on false charges. Many YSRCP leaders have also been asked to sign a bond by the police saying they will not cause trouble ahead of the bye-poll, according to YSRCP.
“These incidents represent not only a breakdown of law and order but also a direct assault on democratic principles. We urge immediate, time-bound action to restore public confidence, protect citizens’ rights, and ensure that the Pulivendula ZPTC bye-election is conducted in a lawful, peaceful, and transparent manner,” YSRCP state general secretary Lella Appi Reddy said in a letter to the DGP.
Attack on YSRCP MLC Ramesh Yadav
On August 6, TDP workers attacked a car in which YSRCP MLC Ramesh Yadav was travelling in Nalgondavaripalle. While the car was damaged, the MLC and other YSRCP leaders reportedly suffered injuries. YSRCP has alleged that this was a premeditated attack by a mob of around 150 TDP workers led by Mareddy Bharath Reddy.
Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) of Kurnool Range Praveen Koya said that on that day, YSRCP was given permission to campaign in Kannampalli and TDP was allowed to campaign in Nalgondavaripalle.
“Without informing the police, YSRCP members went to [Nalgondavaripalle] and visited the house of someone who recently switched to the TDP,” the DIG said. He added that the TDP members alleged that they were intimidated and hence retaliated against the YSRCP members. The DIG said that while cars were damaged, the injuries inflicted during the incident were minor.
Reacting to allegations of police inaction, the DIG said that people’s heads would’ve gone flying if the police hadn’t brought the situation under control.
According to the YSRCP, as a result of the August 6 incident, party member Velpula Ramalinga Reddy sustained a severe head injury, Ramesh Yadav suffered a fracture in his right hand along with other injuries, and multiple vehicles, including a Range Rover, Fortuner, and Scorpio, were damaged.
However, police only booked YSRCP leaders, including Velpula Ramu, while taking no action against the TDP workers responsible for the attack, the YSRCP has alleged.
The Pulivendula police have booked Velpula Ramu and other YSRCP leaders under various charges including rioting, attempt to murder, and the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, based on a complaint by TDP member Goturu Dhananjaya. The complaint alleged that the accused, accompanied by about 50 YSRCP members, attacked him with iron rods and sickles, and abused him with casteist slurs.
YSRCP has alleged that this is a false case.
“In Pulivendula mandal alone, 150 YSRCP leaders have been asked to sign a bond in recent days. This clearly indicates a conspiracy to remove key YSRCP leaders from their villages on polling day to prevent them from voting or coordinating the party’s election work,” YSRCP told the DGP.
Meanwhile, TDP’s BTech Ravi has alleged that YSRCP and its mouthpiece Sakshi have been levelling false accusations against TDP workers. He alleged that several candidates contesting independently were agents of the YSRCP, accusing the party of improper conduct.