VIJAYAWADA: Two political activists -- one belonging to TDP and another YSRC -- were killed in poll-related violence in faction-hit Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday while sporadic incidents of clashes between rival political party activists marred polling across the state.
In the sensitive Tadipatri constituency, rival TDP and YSRC activists had a row in Veerapuam village of Tadipatri mandal. According to reports, TDP sitting MLA from Tadipatri JC Prabhakar Reddy visited the Veerapuram village, a stronghold of YSRC party, to monitor the poll process. Prabhakar Reddy's son Asmith Reddy is contesting from the Veerapuram seat.
The local YSRC activists immediately called up YSRC's candidate Ketireddy Peddireddy, who rushed to the village. Fearing trouble, the police asked the two leaders to leave the village but within minutes, the situation went out of hand. Soon, the activists belonging to the two parties resorted to stone pelting and four people including TDP leader Chinta Bhaskar Reddy and three YSRC activists including Karem Pulla Reddy were injured.
Bhaskar Reddy and Pulla Reddy sustained injuries on the head and were both shifted to Tadipatri hospital. They passed away en route to Kurnool Hospital, to where they were transferred to.
Tense situation prevailed in the village following the clashes and additional police forces were rushed to the village to bring the situation under control. The polling, however, continued uninterrupted in Veerapuram village.
Meanwhile, sporadic incidents of clashes took place between TDP and YSRC activists across the state. In Elamanda village of Narsaraopet, YSRC candidate Gopireddy Srinivas Reddy was injured in an attack by TDP leaders following a clash.
AP State Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao created a flutter by entering into a polling booth in Inimetta of Rajupalem mandal in Sattenapalle constituency and locking himself inside the booth. Fearing that the TDP candidate is resorting to rigging, YSRC keaders staged a protest outside the polling booth.
Police later forcibly shifted Kodela out of the polling booth and brought the situation under control.