ONGOLE : Tension flared up when the supporters of the YSRC candidate for Ongole Assembly seat Balineni Srinivasa Reddy clashed with those of the TDP at an apartment in Ongole on Wednesday night and at the government general hospital on Thursday morning.
The bone contention was the participation of a village volunteer in the election campaign in the apartment by the relative of Balineni Srinivas Reddy.
The situation came under control after the intervention of the police. They registered cases against the activists of both YSRC and the TDP, based on complaints lodged by the rival factions, according to District Superintendent of Police (SP) Garud Sumith Sunil.
Meanwhile, State Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena, reacting to the issue, directed the district police to submit a comprehensive report on the incident for a review by the Election Commission.
According to police, on Wednesday night, Balineni’s daughter in-law Kavya went to Samatha Nagar to conduct a campaign on his behalf. When she was about to enter an apartment, one TDP activist asked her and her supporters to go back. It is said that a village volunteer, who resigned from service, was part of the campaign for which the TDP took objection.
Soon, heated arguments took place between the two groups and the situation quickly deteriorated. Balineni too reached the spot, but by then the police had already arrived and brought the situation under control. They shifted the injured persons to the GGH.
On learning about the incident, TDP leader Damacharla Janardhan Rao and Balineni rushed to the GGH to inquire about the health condition of the injured which led to tension peaking once again. Supporters of the two parties raised slogans and began clashing with one another.
The police immediately swung into action and cleared the premises by chasing them away.
TDP complains to CEO, seeks action on police
Earlier, TDP activists led by Damacharla staged a protest in front of the SP office and submitted a memorandum to him requesting action against YSRCP leaders who attacked them.
Reacting sharply to the incident, Balineni said: “For quite some time now, a few TDP leaders and cadres have been trying to provoke and threaten the YSRC cadres and followers. Now they had the audacity to touch my family members. It has hurt me. I will not spare them,” Balineni said, seething with rage.
Damacharla, however, held Balineni responsible for the incident. “We are well aware of their intentions. In the coming days, we will give them a fitting reply,’’ Damacharla declared. The TDP leaders also lodged a complaint with CEO Mukesh, alleging that a few police officers supported the YSRC activists and requested him to take action against them. The district SP warned political parties and their supporters against resorting to violence, vitiating the atmosphere.
Opposition TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu and national general secretary N Lokesh condemned the incident. Lokesh said the family members of Prabhavati, a TDP supporter, were assaulted by YSRC leaders when they took a picture of a village volunteer Sujanapriya taking part in the election campaign.
“The fear of imminent defeat haunts YSRCP. While engaging in false campaigns on one hand, they are attacking the TDP workers and leaders. Balineni Srinivasa Reddy and his followers attacked TDP sympathisers who were opposing the participation of village volunteers in an election campaign,” Lokesh posted out on X. He asserted that they would never tolerate such incidents. Responding to the allegations of the TDP, YSRCP general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said that the TDP is used to making false propaganda. “How can the TDP leaders object to a volunteer, who resigned from service, participating in the election campaign of our leader?” he asked.