Tensions escalated in parts of Andhra Pradesh on Friday amid the filing of nominations for local body elections, with clashes reported between workers of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Punganur and reports of vehicles being set on fire near the YSRCP office in Rayachoti.
In Punganur municipality, clashes broke out near a nomination centre when YSRCP Lok Sabha floor leader and Rajampet MP P. V. Midhun Reddy accompanied party candidates and leaders to file their nominations.
YSRCP alleged that TDP leaders and workers blocked Midhun Reddy’s convoy and attacked vehicles with stones, sticks and iron rods. Several vehicles belonging to YSRCP leaders were reportedly damaged. Accounts from the area also described scuffles and stone-pelting between workers of the two parties.
Police intervened to control the situation. Some reports said shots were fired into the air to disperse the crowd, but this detail requires confirmation from the police. YSRCP accused the police of failing to protect its candidates and prevent the violence.
The party described the incident as an attempt on Midhun Reddy’s life and accused TDP workers of trying to obstruct opposition candidates during the nomination process. These allegations have not been independently established.
In a separate incident in Rayachoti, tensions reportedly escalated after several vehicles near the YSRCP office were set on fire. The vehicles were allegedly torched by TDP supporters following the clashes in Punganur. Further details about the damage, injuries and police action were not immediately available.
YSRCP called on the State Election Commission to intervene, register criminal cases and arrest those responsible. It also sought action against officials accused of failing to prevent the violence, along with adequate security for candidates and their proposers to ensure they could file nominations without obstruction.
The incidents have added to political tensions in Andhra Pradesh as the local body nomination process gets under way. Details of any arrests, formal police complaints and an official response from the TDP were awaited.