Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former Andhra Pradesh minister Bhuma Akhila Priya Reddy was arrested by Nandyal police on Wednesday, May 17 for her alleged role in a recent attack on former Andhra Pradesh Minor Irrigation Corporation (APMIC) chairman and fellow TDP leader AV Subba Reddy. The latter was injured in clashes between supporters of Akhila and Subba Reddy on Tuesday, during TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh’s Yuva Galam padayatra. Akhila was produced before a court on Wednesday and remanded to judicial custody for 14 days.
When Lokesh's padayatra reached Nandyal district on Tuesday, supporters of the two rival TDP leaders clashed in Kothapalli village. Videos from the padayatra that emerged on social media showed clashes erupting in Akhila’s presence. Subba Reddy, who was hurt in the altercation, moved to the hospital with the help of the police. The police tried to pacify the situation.
On Wednesday, Akhila was taken into police custody over the incident. She was booked under sections 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 307 (attempt to murder), and 20B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) read with section 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Akhila has also lodged a counter complaint against Subba Reddy and his followers, and the police have registered a case against him as well.
Akhila’s late father Bhuma Nagi Reddy was a three-time MP from the Nandyal Lok Sabha constituency, while her mother Shobha Nagi Reddy has represented the Allagadda constituency in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. Akhila was elected as the MLA from Allagadda in a bye-poll in 2014 when her mother Shobha, who was the sitting MLA, passed away in a road accident.
AV Subba Reddy was a close associate of Akhila’s father Bhuma Nagi Reddy, who died of a heart attack in 2017. According to reports, the relationship between the two families soured after Nagi Reddy’s demise.
Following the incident, Subba Reddy’s daughter Jashwanthi Reddy has put out a video condemning the attack on her father. She said, "Because we want Lokesh's padyatra to go on without a hitch, my father and I avoided speaking to the media even after the attack. Akhila Priya’s attack on a man who is like a father to her shows that she lacks morals. The party should be aware of this and deny her a ticket [in the 2024 Andhra Assembly elections]. We will make every effort to defeat her if she succeeds in getting a ticket at all.”
Speaking to TNM, TDP spokesperson said that the party has formed a committee to look into the matter. “What happened in Nandyal is an unfortunate incident. Party chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting on it on Wednesday morning, he was very serious about the issue. A committee has been formed to look into the incident and furnish a report, based on which disciplinary action will be taken,” he said.