It's a do or die battle between YSRC & TDP

Hyderabad: Sporadic incidents of violence marred polling in most of the 13 districts of the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh that went to polls on Wednesday.

In the Visakhapatnam Agency area, Maoists, who had called for a boycott of the elections, attacked a polling station and burnt electronic voting machines (EVMs) at Palakajeedi village, forcing the Election Commission to order repolling there.

Sending the combing teams into a tizzy in the Agency area, the Maoists destroyed two electronic voting machines (EVMs) and partially, burnt a vehicle deployed for the polling staff at Palakajeedi village in Koyyuru mandal in Visakhapatnam district on the Andhra-Odisha border.

According to sources, about 15 members of the banned outfit attacked the polling station and the staff. They warned the tribals in the region not to vote. By the time, police forces reached the spot, the Maoists had left the place.

Meanwhile, the faction-hit constituencies of Jammalamadugu, Mydukur and Pulivendula in Kadapa district witnessed tense moments as activists belonging to YSRC attacked police officers and their vehicles, rival party activists. The TDP and YSRC functionaries fought pitched battles in Rajampet and Railway Kodur constituencies too.

Violence broke out in several parts of the district and villages under Jammalamadugu, Mydukuru, Proddatur, Railway Kodur and Rajampet constituencies reeled under tension. Police lobbed tear-gas shells in Railway Kodur to prevent rival groups from clashing and disperse the mobs.

Trouble began when TDP candidate P Ramasubba Reddy, whose family has a running feud with YSRC's C Adinarayana Reddy, popularly known as Devagudi family, tried to visit a polling booth at Goriganur village in Jammalamadugu mandal.

The TDP has been complaining that the YSRC has taken control of several villages and is not even allowing other parties to have their agents in polling booths. Ramasubba Reddy went to have his party's agent in the booth when he was obstructed from entering the village.

When Ramasubba was pushed, his gunman took out his service weapon and threatened to fire in the air. Local police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

However, as the TDP leader remained adamant and tried to enter the village, YSRC cadres hurled stones and the TDP followers retaliated in kind. The window panes of Ramasubba Reddy's vehicle were damaged.

The TDP leader later left the village. Ramasubba Reddy's wife staged a protest at the Gandhi Statue in Jammalamadugu and withdrew the same following an appeal by the police.

Meanwhile, IPS officer Rajesh and Jammalamadugu ASP Appala Naidu, patrolling the villages went to Devagudi, the native village of Adinarayana Reddy, where YSRC activists placed barbed wires to prevent TDP leaders from entering their village.

The YSRC activists obstructed the police officials too from entering the polling station without the nod of polling officials and attacked the police officials and other staff with stones and also damaged three police vehicles.

ASP Appala Naidu and two constables suffered minor injuries in the attack. With the mob unrelenting in their attacks, the police were forced to open two rounds of fire into the air and also sent additional forces to the village.

Taking serious note of the incident, Rayalaseema Range IG Naveen Chand said they would initiate action against each and everyone who was involved in the attack. 'We will register cases and will not spare anyone irrespective of their status and will punish them firmly,' he asserted.

Kadapa YSRC Lok Sabha candidate YS Avinash Reddy, however, blamed the police for the incident. Finding fault with the ASP for entering the polling station without taking the consent of the polling officer, he said that trouble started only after the ASP dragged away Sudheer, son of Adinarayana Reddy, out of the polling booth.

Tension prevailed in Reddivaripalle, native village of Railway Kodur YSRC candidate K Srinivasulu with activists of YSRC and TDP hurling stones at each other. Police lobbed tear-gas shells to disperse the mob.

At Nakkaladinne in Chapadu mandal in Mydukur constituency, YSRC activists attacked the vehicles of TDP candidate P Sudhakar Yadav. Similarly, the TDP activists, too attacked the vehicles of YSRC candidate S Raghurami Reddy at Viswanathapuram in Chapadu mandal resulting in injuries to three persons.

In Pulivendula constituency, YSRC activists confined TDP Kadapa Lok Sabha candidate R Srinivasulu Reddy and Pulivendula Assembly constituency candidate SV Satish Reddy when they went to a polling station in Pulivendula town. An independent candidate R Bhaskar Reddy, a YSRC supporter, prevented the duo from entering the polling station along with his followers.

This led to exchange of heated arguments between both the groups. Within no time, YSRC cadres in large numbers reached the polling station and confined both the TDP leaders in the polling station itself leading to high tension.

Upon learning about it, YSRC leaders Avinash Reddy, YS Vivekananda Reddy and police reached the spot, pacified the YSRC activists and released the TDP leaders. In the meantime, the YSRC cadres burnt a car belonging to a Congress leader V Srinivasulu outside the polling station. Attacks on the vehicles of rival parties and stone-throwing were also reported from other parts of the district.

Activists of TDP and YSRC also clashed at some places in Chittoor, Anantapur and Kurnool districts of Rayalaseema. In Ramapuram village in Owk mandal in Kurnool district, members of both the parties indulged in stone-throwing. Police resorted to lathi-charge to control the violent mob.

In the faction-ridden Rompicherla mandal in Guntur district, TDP and YSRCP cadres clashed at various villages. One was injured in a clash between TDP and YRSCP as workers of both parties threw stones at each other in Peda Agraharam village.

In Ramireddypalem village police fired in the air to disperse warring groups. In Macherla constituency, groups of both parties fought with each other when YSRCP reportedly questioned former MLA Pinnelli Lakshma Reddy of the TDP about alleged money distribution to voters. Mild tension prevailed following the incident. Clashes also occurred at Kolluru.

TDP Narasaraopet Lok Sabha candidate Rayapati Sambasiva Rao's convoy was allegedly attacked by YSRCP supporters at Basikapuram village in Narasaraopet mandal. While Rayapati was safe, glasses of his car were broken.

Villagers attacked Rayapati when he tried to enter into a polling booth on the pretext that votes were being polled for YSRCP in huge numbers and tried to influence them. But security guards were quick to escort the TDP leader to safety while his vehicle was damaged in the attack.

Chief Electoral Officer Bhanwarlal said that by and large polling was peaceful barring stray incidents of clashes between members of the two main parties. However, no deaths occurred contrary to some reports, he clarified.