Polling for elections to 100 urban local bodies (ULBs) in Andhra Pradesh was largely peaceful on Sunday, barring clashes between ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) workers in Kadapa district.
Voting began at 7 am and was scheduled to continue until 5 pm. The elections cover 13 municipal corporations, including Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, and 87 municipalities and nagar panchayats.
In Pulivendula, Kadapa district, violence broke out as supporters of the two parties clashed. YSRCP president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy accused the TDP-led government of undermining democracy through alleged booth capturing, bogus voting and obstruction of voters at several polling stations.
Speaking to reporters in Pulivendula, Reddy alleged that TDP workers had occupied polling booths as early as 4 am and forcibly taken away voters' slips. He also claimed that YSRCP polling agents were denied entry into 70 of the 80 booths in the constituency.
Reddy accused the police of turning away voters and favouring the ruling party. He further alleged that councillor candidates had been detained, while journalists covering the elections were attacked and cameras belonging to private news channels damaged.
“Voters are not being allowed to cast their votes in Pulivendula, Jammalamadugu, Chittoor, Macherla, Tadipatri and Madanapalle. N Chandrababu Naidu is not even eligible to continue as Chief Minister for a single day,” he said, reported PTI.
The YSRCP chief also questioned the functioning of the State Election Commission, alleging that it was not complying with Supreme Court directions. He claimed that polling booths lacked video recording and CCTV surveillance and questioned how elections could be conducted without YSRCP polling agents.
Later, Reddy and Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy staged a protest outside the Returning Officer's office in Pulivendula after officials denied him entry. He had sought the officer's intervention to ensure the smooth conduct of polling.
There was no immediate response from the TDP to the allegations.
Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen said TDP and YSRCP supporters had hurled stones at each other in Pulivendula. Police were working to restore normalcy, he said, adding that there was no immediate information on injuries.
Around 1,000 police personnel had been deployed in Pulivendula, with CCTV cameras and drones being used for surveillance. The police were prepared to handle any situation, Praveen said.
Separately, police registered a case over an alleged attack on two journalists from private national news channels covering the local body elections. According to the police, a group of around 80 unidentified persons attacked the journalists near Gandhi Statue Circle in Ahobilapuram at about 8.10 am.
The attackers allegedly assaulted a video journalist and damaged a professional camera after removing its memory card and battery. They also forcibly took away the journalists' identity cards and attempted to snatch their mobile phones, police said, citing the complaint.
Kadapa Superintendent of Police S Nachiket Vishwanath contacted the journalists and assured them that action would be taken against those responsible.
Across the state, 36,351 police personnel had been deployed at 4,372 locations to ensure peaceful polling, with senior officers monitoring security arrangements. PTI reported that security had been strengthened at polling stations and other sensitive locations to prevent disturbances.
Violence had also been reported during the filing of nominations, when TDP and YSRCP workers clashed. Cases were registered in connection with those incidents.
Meanwhile, polling in the Nellore Municipal Corporation, Buchireddypalem Municipality and Atmakur Municipality was progressing peacefully, with no untoward incidents reported until noon, district Superintendent of Police Ajitha Vejendla said.
The three urban local bodies together have around 6.5 lakh voters. Vejendla said polling was progressing encouragingly and adequate security had been arranged at all 594 polling stations.
Sensitive and hyper-sensitive polling stations were covered by webcasting facilities, while videography was being carried out both inside and outside polling premises. Micro-observers had also been deployed to monitor the process, she said.
“The 100-metre restriction around polling stations is being strictly enforced. We have put up barricades to ensure that no unauthorised persons or groups enter the restricted area, and only voters are allowed to cross the barricades and proceed towards the polling stations,” Vejendla told PTI Videos.
Police were taking all necessary precautions to ensure the smooth conduct of polling, she added.
(With PTI inputs)