YSRCP and TDP cadres clashed in Tirupati and Narasipatnam. Police resorted to lathi charge to disperse party workers.
Published Mar 14, 2023 | 8:35 AM ⚊ Updated Mar 14, 2023 | 8:35 AM
Polling was held for three graduates' segments, two teachers’ seats, and four local-body segments. (Creative Commons)
Barring a few clashes and allegations by the Opposition parties that the ruling YSRCP resorted to malpractices, the polling in eight Legislative Council segments in Andhra Pradesh under three different categories was held peacefully on Monday, 13 March.
The TDP has threatened to approach the Andhra Pradesh High Court over the alleged election atrocities committed by the YSRCP.
TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu also dashed off a letter to the chief electoral officer of the state alleging highhandedness by the YSRCP leaders and cadres.
Clashes between YSRCP and TDP cadres took place in Tirupati and Narasipatnam. The police had to resort to lathi-charges to disperse the party workers.
Tension prevailed for some time in Ongole town close to the polling station in St Theresa School. There was a face-off between former TDP MLA Damacharla Janardhan and YSRCP MLA and former minister Balinei Srinivas Reddy, which led to a clash between their respective groups.
While the election authorities issued a schedule for 13 Council seats, the election to five under the local-body quota — Anantapur, Kadapa, Chittoor, Nellore, and East Godavari — has already been declared unanimous.
On Monday, polling took place for the remaining seats. The MLC polls gained importance as they are being held just 14 months ahead of the 2024 general elections in the state and they may indicate the mood of the people.
Polling was held for graduates’ constituencies of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, and Visakhapatnam (North Andhra), Kadapa, Kurnool, and Anantapur (East Rayalaseema), and Prakasam, Nellore, and Chittoor (West Rayalaseema).
The Kadapa-Anantapur-Kurnool and Prakasam-Nellore-Chittoor teachers’ constituencies will also go for polls.
Local-body segments — one each in the Kurnool, Srikakulam, and west Godavari districts — also saw voting on Monday.
As many as 108 candidates were in the fray in the three graduates’ constituencies polls, 20 in two teachers’ constituencies, and 11 in the three local authorities elections.
Similarly, a little over 10 lakh graduates are eligible to vote in the graduates’ polls, 55,842 voters in the two teachers’ constituencies polls, and 3,059 in the local authorities polls.
The TDP Politburo member Varla Ramaiah on Monday said that the government officials and the police crossed “all limits in murdering democracy” in the elections held during the day for the Legislative Council.
The TDP will approach the Andhra Pradesh High Court seeking justice in the matter, Varla Ramaiah told media persons.
“Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy reposed faith in backdoor methods to win the polls and at least 30 percent of the votes polled for both the graduates and teachers constituencies were bogus,” he claimed.
The TDP Politburo member expressed surprise that the YSRCP MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and his son, Abhinay, were allowed inside the polling booth and TDP leaders, who questioned this, have been taken into custody.
Varla Ramaiah demanded the immediate involvement of the Election Commission of India in the Legislative Council polls in Andhra Pradesh.
Are the laws are applicable only for the TDP leaders like the party national general secretary, Nara Lokesh, and are they not applicable to YSRCP leaders like YV Subba Reddy, the TDP politburo member asked.
Charging that YV Subba Reddy was allowed to campaign near the polling booths, he asked: “Is YV Subba Reddy allowed as he is the uncle of the chief minister?”
He also demanded that the state chief electoral officer prepare a report on the elections and forward it to the central poll panel in New Delhi.
