Brief
Violence erupts at Andhra Pradesh urban local body nomination centres
Police used tear‑gas, live fire and arrested four suspects as clashes between YSRCP and TDP supporters broke out in multiple towns.
By Felo News Desk · Published
For a second consecutive day, the filing of nominations for Andhra Pradesh's urban local body elections was marred by violent clashes between supporters of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), according to a report by the New Indian Express.
Incidents were reported in Pulivendula, Punganur, Rayachoti, Rajampet, Tirupati, Kadapa, Gurazala, Piduguralla, Darsi and other urban centres. In Pulivendula, a large YSRCP procession led by MP YS Avinash Reddy attempted to force entry into the nomination centre, prompting heavy police cordons. Stone‑pelting escalated, and police responded with a lathi‑charge, firing more than 30 rounds of tear‑gas shells and warning shots from an AK‑47 to disperse the crowd.
District Superintendent of Police Shelke Nachiket Vishwanath was positioned close to the unrest, while Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen and District Collector Sridhar Cherukuri arrived to review security. An overnight arson attack destroyed a YSRCP‑affiliated chicken shop and several vehicles. In Kadapa city, nomination venues at Mariapuram, Gandhi Nagar School and Kagitalapenta became flashpoints, with stone‑pelting, vehicle damage and knife attacks that left former mayor Mumtaz Begum’s son Mubarak and two others with serious stab wounds.
Rayachoti saw further turmoil when individuals described as bouncers hired by YSRCP brandished revolvers and attacked TDP cadres along Madanapalle road. Police intervened, recovered two revolvers and about 30 live bullets, and arrested four men from Punjab linked to the gang. Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy condemned the episode, alleging that former MLA G Srikanth Reddy had mobilised criminal gangs from Delhi, Hyderabad and Punjab to stir unrest.
Similar vandalism was reported in Rajampet, while political tension rose in Tirupati, where MP Maddila Gurumoorthy and MLC Sipai Subramanyam claimed TDP supporters forcibly seized nomination papers. The series of clashes forced senior administrative and police leadership to step in directly to restore order across the affected towns.
Key facts
- Violence disrupted nomination filing in at least ten towns across Andhra Pradesh (newindianexpress.com)
- Police fired over 30 tear‑gas shells and warning rounds from an AK‑47 in Pulivendula (newindianexpress.com)
- Four individuals from Punjab were arrested after police recovered two revolvers and about 30 live bullets (newindianexpress.com)
- Two people, including former mayor Mumtaz Begum’s son, suffered stab wounds during clashes in Kadapa (newindianexpress.com)
- Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy accused former MLA G Srikanth Reddy of deploying criminal gangs (newindianexpress.com)
Sources
- [1] newindianexpress.com — originally reported as “Andhra urban local body polls: Violence mars filing of nominations on 2nd day”
