Tension prevailed in Nimmada area in the Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh as the police arrested TDP state president and MLA K Atchannaidu in a case of alleged intimidation and threatening. The allegation by the YSRCP is that TDP leaders including Atchannaidu threatened their Sarpanch candidate.
Atchannaidu was arrested from his residence in Nimmada on Tuesday morning and taken to the Kotabommali police station. Atchannaidu's wife Vijaya Madhavi has filed a nomination for the Sarpanch position in Nimmada as a TDP candidate, while YSRCP has fielded Kinjarapu Appanna who is also a close relative of Atchannaidu.
Appanna alleged that he was threatened and intimidated by Atchnnaidu and his allies when he arrived to file his nomination along with YSRCP Tekkali Coordinator Duvvada Srinivas. On January 31, the day of the nomination, tension prevailed as the groups were indulged in the ruckus.
The Kotabommali police have registered a case against as many as 22 people including Atchannaidu. Police said that the Atchannaidu is being produced before the local court.
Meanwhile, TDP condemned the arrest of Atchannaidu terming it as political vendetta. TDP Chief and opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu has taken exception to the arrest calling it the height of vindictive politics.
In a statement, Naidu accused Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and his government of resorting to vindictive politics against TDP leaders out of frustration over the rising anti-YCP sentiment in the panchayat elections.
He alleged that the fear of defeat has caused YSRCP leaders to unleash terror in the three North Andhra districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam. "In Atchannaidu's native Nimmada village, there were no clashes of any sort for the past 40 years. Now, tensions were being created there only for the narrow political gains. It should be ascertained first as to who has caused the tensions,” Naidu said.
Condemning the arrest of Atchannaidu, Nara Lokesh said that the people of Andhra will teach a lesson to CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in the panchayat elections.