A dispute outside a nomination centre in Punganur, Annamayya district, on Friday drew in supporters of the TDP — the party currently governing the area — and the YSRCP, culminating in projectiles being thrown, a number of people sustaining injuries, and police discharging shots into the air to restore order.
Trouble flared on the opening day of the nomination process for the 28 October urban local body polls, as YSRCP MP P V Midhun Reddy made his way to Basavaraja Government Junior College — the venue designated for filing nominations — accompanied by party candidates and a sizeable contingent of supporters. The mobilisation of supporters took place, according to accounts at the time, over concerns that party nominees could face obstacles when attempting to submit their candidacy papers.
A confrontation between members of the two groups near the centre gave way to stone-throwing, according to accounts from the scene. Stones, sticks, and iron rods were hurled at vehicles travelling in Midhun Reddy's convoy, leaving a number of them with reported damage. Six or more vehicles sustained damage, with a handful reportedly catching fire during the incident.
Flanked by a police detail, Midhun Reddy entered the nomination centre and remained inside for upwards of an hour, while a crowd gathered at the entrance. Officers relocated him from the area as work to bring the standoff under control pressed on. A bodyguard travelling with him discharged warning shots into the air during the confrontation, with officers on the scene also discharging a round overhead in an effort to separate the competing factions.
Injuries were reported among members of both groups and law enforcement officers who were caught up in the confrontations. Madhu Royal, a TDP leader, sustained injuries in the incident, with those hurt subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for medical attention. Fire spread to the YSRCP party building in Rayachoty, leaving it destroyed.
Reinforcements were deployed to Punganur as authorities worked to contain unrest and bring the situation under control.
Following the event, representatives from both sides directed responsibility for the violence toward one another, with neither party acknowledging any role in what had unfolded. Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy, a former minister and current Punganur MLA, contended that those behind the violence targeting YSRCP leaders and candidates were acting on the orders of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and IT minister Nara Lokesh.
YSRCP representatives alleged that TDP workers moved to block their nominees from reaching the filing venue, and called on authorities to take action against those involved. Party officials from the TDP countered the allegations by drawing attention to Midhun Reddy's arrival at the location with a large convoy in tow, which they said ran counter to movement restrictions that police had put in place. TDP representatives claimed that stone-throwing broke out among YSRCP members after party figures raised objections to the event.
Party members affiliated with the TDP gathered in demonstration, calling for the MP's detention on the grounds that he bore responsibility for the outbreak of violence. Nomination filings for its candidates were being obstructed, the YSRCP contended in a fresh petition before the High Court. A formal complaint was filed by the party with the State Election Commission, alleging that officers had not deployed sufficient security measures despite earlier requests for central forces.
The town of Punganur, divided into 36 municipal wards, has long been considered territory where the Peddireddy family holds considerable political sway. Altercations that broke out when nomination day began have prompted questions about whether adequate safeguards are in place ahead of the local body elections.
Tensions surfaced in Rayachoti when a number of vehicles were set alight and police stepped in to keep rival groups apart. Heightened police presence took hold across Punganur and Rayachoti as authorities opened formal inquiries into what had taken place.
