KURNOOL: The ZPTC and MPTC elections on Thursday witnessed clashes, stone-pelting, and throwing of petrol bombs at several places in Kadapa district. For the first time in nearly two decades, petrol bombs have again been used during elections in the district. These incidents come within days of clashes and allegations of booth capturing reported during the municipal elections on November 1. In Pulivendula constituency, stone-pelting and petrol bomb attacks have been reported in Yerravalli and Acchivelli villages. Supporters of the Telugu Desam and YSRC allegedly attacked each other with stones. YSRC workers alleged that TD activists hurled petrol bombs to prevent them from entering polling booths in Yerravalli. Tension also prevailed at Acchivelli, where unfamiliar persons had reportedly been found inside polling booths as early as 9 a.m., whom polling agents sent out. Railway Koduru witnessed tension right from the morning following allegations that bogus voters had entered polling booths. The dispute led to stone-pelting between rival groups, which later escalated into petrol bomb attacks. Though police personnel had been present, they could not bring the situation under control immediately. In Nandalur and Vontimitta, villagers allegedly thrashed suspected bogus voters. Locals intercepted an Ertiga car carrying unfamiliar persons and beat them up before throwing chilli powder into their eyes. Five persons detained by villagers had allegedly cast some bogus votes. Police, who reached the spot, took them away in a vehicle. Similar incidents have been reported at the Ramapuram polling booth in Gopavaram mandal of Badvel constituency, where villagers caught and thrashed suspected bogus voters. In Pullareddypeta village of Duvvur mandal in Mydukur constituency, locals announced an election boycott, alleging that polling is being conducted in a one-sided manner. Tense situation prevailed at Gundlakunta in Jammalamadugu constituency, where YSRC MLC P. Ramasubba Reddy reportedly created a commotion near a polling booth. Police intervened and brought the situation under control. In Pedda Mudium mandal, opposition groups alleged that Jammalamadugu MLA of the BJP C.H. Adinarayana Reddy had been intimidating voters. His supporters reportedly clashed with others after reaching the mandal headquarters. Mydukur, Pulivendula, Railway Koduru, and Jammalamadugu constituencies accounted for most of the violent incidents in Kadapa district. In Kurnool district, police resorted to a lathi-charge on villagers at Hosur in Pattikonda constituency. The incident occurred when locals tried to stop a police vehicle, alleging that the police had illegally arrested a leader belonging to their group. Police allegedly beat the villagers and dispersed them. A tense situation prevailed at a polling booth in S. Ramapuram village of Gopavaram mandal in Badvel constituency. K. Narasa Reddy, husband of YSRC MPTC candidate K. Venkata Subbamma from Brahmanapalli, arrived at the polling booth to cast his vote. However, someone had already cast his vote, leading to a heated argument with polling officials. Angered by the incident, Narasareddy allegedly poured ink into the ballot box inside the polling station, disrupting the polling process. The incident triggered protests by TD supporters. TD leaders and supporters of M. Suryanarayana Reddy gathered near the polling booth, creating a tense situation. In Aspari mandal, an elderly woman, who had arrived to cast her vote, suffered a heart attack near the polling station. Locals shifted her to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead on arrival. Clashes between TD and YSRC supporters have been reported in Chippagiri mandal, leaving more than 20 people injured. Officials estimated that the average polling percentage in Kurnool, Nandyal, and Kadapa districts had crossed 63 per cent by the close of polling.
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