GUNTUR: The Police Department has increased protection and security for the smooth conduct of local body elections in Palnadu region of Guntur district in the wake of attack on TDP leader’s car at Macherla on Wednesday. The police have already implemented strict security measures, but the arrival of the TDP leaders without any intimation led to an attack on their car.
The police have already clamped 30 Act in Guntur district and organized massive campaign for restraining rallies, meetings from turning violent during the filing of nominations for local body elections. But group clashes were reported at Nagaram, Machavaram and Veldurthi.
Repalle TDP MLA A Satya Prasad staged a protest demanding the withdrawal of a ‘false case’ filed against Alla Chowdary, who was accused of illegally storing liquor. Another incident took place at Machavaram during filing of nominations for the reserved seat of SC woman at Pinelli village. TDP leader Chinatapalli Nanne of Pinnelli objected to his party leaders while nomination for the SC reserved seat was being filed. The incident turned violent and a group clash took place between the supporters of the ruling and opposition parties, whose leaders came to file nominations from different villages in Machavaram.
The TDP activists carried attack on YSRC. Sarpanch candidate Namburu Krishna Murthy was injured in the incident. A case was filed against 12 TDP activists at Veldurthi. TDP MLC Buddha Venkanna and former MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao toured without giving any information to the police in Macherla as per the directions of former CM N Chandrababu Naidu, but the situation turned violent and YSRC activists carried out attack on them. The police would have provided security and protection to the TDP leaders according to protocol had they be informed about the visit, but there was no information to the police in this regard, sources in the police department said.
Gurajala DSP K Srihari said that the Police Department was deploying additional force to conduct free and fair elections in Palnadu region. The police would check all vulnerable villages in Gurajala and Macherla segments to prevent untoward incidents. He said that the Police Department had already deployed sufficient force, but decided to deploy additional force in the wake of the attack on the TDP MLC and former MLA in Macherla.