Tension in Pulivendula ahead of ZPTC election

Sporadic instances of violence erupted in Pulivendula mandal, which is witnessing intense political heat ahead of the ZPTC by-election scheduled for August 12.

A car, reportedly belonging to a YSRCP leader, was smashed allegedly by an unruly mob, while MLC Ramesh Yadav also allegedly came under attack.

Party sympathisers Suresh Kumar Reddy and Amareswara Reddy were allegedly attacked while they were returning from a wedding.

The YSRCP squarely blamed the TDP for the spurt in violence in Pulivendula, which, it said, remained “largely peaceful” in the past. Activists led by MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy staged a demonstration demanding arrest of the accused.

YSRCP Kadapa district president Ravindranath Reddy and State general secretary S.V. Satish Kumar Reddy submitted a memorandum to the district Superintendent of Police on Wednesday, seeking his intervention to “safeguard democracy.”

While stating that 16 persons were injured in the acts of violence, Mr. Satish Reddy expressed suspicion that the orchestrated violence was aimed at spreading fear among the voters.

While condemning the attacks, YSRCP State spokesperson and district president R. Sivaprasad Reddy accused the NDA government of taking over the constitutional bodies into its hands in a bid to unilaterally decide the verdict.

He saw the alleged false bindover cases and forced counselling sessions conducted for the YSRCP cadre as an example of the “intimidation tactics.”

Meanwhile, Botcha Satyanarayana, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, accused the government of murdering democracy by unleashing political violence.

In a statement, he questioned whether the police were capable of providing protection to an elected MLC. He appealed to the State Election Commission to restore law and order in Pulivendula.

Former Minister K.V. Ushasri Charan accused the TDP leaders of resorting to violence out of fear of losing the by-poll. “If an MLC is not safe, imagine the protection available to the ordinary citizens,” she said in a video byte.

Meanwhile, TDP Pulivendula constituency in-charge ‘B.Tech’ Ravi accused the YSRCP of unleashing a smear campaign through its media house against the ruling dispensation.

While we were given permission to campaign at Nallagondavaripalle, YSRCP leader Velpula Ramu approached our agent and brought pressure. Violence erupted during one such commotion, he said, while maintaining that people were voluntarily joining the TDP during his visits.