Kadapa ZPTC nominations: vehicles damaged, YSRCP leaders detained

Filing of nominations for Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) elections in Kadapa district on Thursday was marked by minor skirmishes and sporadic incidents of violence, with a car and two motorcycles reportedly damaged and another car set ablaze in Nandalur mandal of Rajampeta constituency.

The incidents were reported from different parts of the district as party workers and local leaders gathered to file nominations. ZPTC elections are part of the rural local body structure, and the nomination stage often becomes a flashpoint when rival groups seek to establish claim over party symbols and official candidatures.

In one confrontation, two groups owing allegiance to the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) locked horns over filing nominations. According to the report, TDP official spokesperson Koduru Balasubramanyam allegedly fired five rounds in the air to bring the situation under control. The other group was led by local leader Vijaya Sagar. Both factions were vying to file nominations on behalf of the TDP, which led to the situation. The police rushed to the spot and resorted to a lathi charge to disperse the groups.

Separately, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP from Kadapa Y.S. Avinash Reddy, former Deputy Chief Minister S.B. Amzath Basha, district party president P. Ravindranath Reddy and former Mayor Paka Suresh were taken into custody as a preventive measure at the Kadapa YSRCP office and shifted to Pulivendula.

Mr. Avinash Reddy called the detention an example of police high-handedness and accused the police department of overtly serving the ruling dispensation. The action against the YSRCP leaders and the violence at nomination centres drew competing political reactions through the day.

At a media conference at the Kadapa Press Club, Jammalamadugu MLA and government whip C. Adinarayana Reddy, along with Pulivendula TDP in-charge and former MLC B.Tech Ravi, blamed Mr. Avinash Reddy for the violence reported across the district. The TDP and the YSRCP have traded blame over the incidents during the local body election process.

The report did not provide a detailed account of injuries, arrests or the number of persons involved in the clashes. It also did not specify whether a formal complaint had been registered over the alleged firing in the air. Such incidents during local body elections put the focus on the role of the police in maintaining order and ensuring that nomination procedures are conducted without intimidation.

Preventive custody is a measure used by the police to prevent a possible breach of peace; it is not a finding of guilt. Political parties in Andhra Pradesh have in the past accused one another of using the administration and police machinery during local elections, and the latest incidents in Kadapa reflect that ongoing acrimony.

The filing of nominations is the first formal stage in the ZPTC election process. Disputes over which faction is authorised to file nominations on behalf of a party can escalate quickly in a competitive local political environment. In Kadapa, the reports indicated that the violence was scattered rather than a single incident, with the burning of a car in Nandalur mandal and damage to other vehicles adding to the tension.

The police have not issued a comprehensive public statement on the sequence of events, according to the report. The YSRCP leaders were shifted to Pulivendula after being taken into custody at the party office. Mr. Avinash Reddy’s allegation that the police were serving the ruling dispensation, and the ruling party MLA’s counter-allegation blaming him for the violence, show how the incidents have acquired a political dimension beyond the immediate task of conducting local body elections.

For voters and local residents, the immediate concern is the conduct of the ZPTC elections in a peaceful manner. The authorities are expected to ensure that nomination filing and subsequent stages of the election are held without fear or favour, and that any allegation of excess by political workers or the police is examined in accordance with the law.