Clashes Mar ZPTC, MPTC Nominations In Three Districts
YSRC leaders also alleged that nomination papers filed by their candidates were torn.
Tirupati:Clashes between the Telugu Desam-led alliance and YSRC workers, as also allegations of obstruction of nominations in Annamayya, Chittoor and Tirupati districts on Wednesday marred the process for ZPTC and MPTC elections in Andhra Pradesh.
Punganur in Annamayya district saw clashes at multiple locations just as leaders and candidates arrived to file nominations. At the municipal high school, where nominations were being received for 16 MPTC seats and one ZPTC seat, workers of the TD and YSRC clashed with stones and sticks, leaving several people injured.
In another incident, TD workers allegedly prevented former vice-MPP Eswaramma of Kamatampalli and her supporters from filing MPTC nominations and snatched their nomination papers. The incident triggered protests, with stones, sticks and liquor bottles allegedly used in clashes. Several cars and two-wheelers were damaged.
In Chittoor, former deputy chief minister and YSRC leader K. Narayana Swamy allegedly came under attack outside the district Zilla Parishad office when he arrived to support the Penumuru ZPTC candidate. His vehicle was attacked, forcing him to leave amid the commotion. YSRC leaders also alleged that nomination papers filed by their candidates were torn.
Telugu Mahila Association president Karjala Aruna was allegedly attacked by a person while she was accompanying an ZPTC candidate from Penumuru mandal to file nomination. The incident heightened tensions, prompting additional police deployment.
District collector Sumit Kumar and AP Tushar Dudi inspected the nomination centres and reviewed the security arrangements.
During checks near Gangineni Cheruvu, police identified a group of bouncers from other states moving suspiciously near a nomination centre and escorted them towards the district border.
In Srikalahasti, a motorcycle belonging to a YSRC candidate was allegedly set on fire in Thottambedu mandal. YSRC leaders alleged that TD workers stopped the candidate while he was riding the vehicle and then set it ablaze.
Tirupati MP, M Gurumurthy, condemned the attack, accusing the alliance leaders and workers of targeting the candidate, former MLA and YSRC in-charge Biyyapu Madhusudhan Reddy, MLC Sipai Subramanyam and other party members, with police support, when they went to support the nominees.
Meanwhile, former Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy was arrested while staging a protest outside the Tirupati collectorate along with his sons, Mohith and Harshith Reddy, and ZPTC and MPTC candidates. The arrests added to the prevailing tension in Chandragiri constituency.
