Lathi charge at Chittoor nomination centre as two groups clash before Collector and SP

Police used lathis to disperse two clashing groups at the MPTC and ZPTC nomination centre at SR Puram in the Gangadhara Nellore Assembly constituency of Chittoor district on Thursday, even as District Collector Sumit Kumar and Superintendent of Police Tushar Dudi were present at the spot.

According to reports, the trouble began while the two senior officials were inspecting the nomination process and reviewing security arrangements at the centre. Members of two groups are said to have rushed towards the area and begun arguing with one another. The immediate cause of the argument was not officially confirmed, and the police have not yet stated which parties or groups the individuals belonged to.

As the two sides refused to back down, the Superintendent of Police directed police personnel to disperse the gathering. Reports said the SP himself wielded a lathi during the operation. The charge sent people running in different directions and caused brief chaos around the nomination centre before orders were restored.

There was no immediate official word on whether anyone was injured or on the number of people involved. Senior officials were expected to review the sequence of events and the security deployment at the centre.

Separately, the Chittoor Urban police detained YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) constituency in-charge M. Vijayananda Reddy at his residence. Officials described the detention as a precautionary measure taken to ensure the nomination process passed off smoothly. No case details or grounds for the detention were announced immediately, and there was no immediate reaction from the party.

The incident comes in the middle of the nomination phase for elections to the Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTC) and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTC) in Andhra Pradesh. These are the grassroots tier of the state's three-level panchayat raj system: MPTC members are elected at the mandal level and ZPTC members at the district level, and the two bodies together shape the functioning of rural local government.

Nomination days at such centres are typically crowded and competitive, with candidates, their proposers and supporters arriving in large numbers, often at the same time. District administrations usually deploy additional police and impose restrictions around the premises to prevent confrontations between rival groups. Thursday's clash underlined how quickly such gatherings can escalate, even in the presence of senior officials.

The police action also raises questions that the administration will need to address publicly. A clear account of what triggered the argument, how the crowd was managed, and whether the use of force was proportionate would help reassure candidates and voters that the process remains free and fair.

Officials have in the past urged political parties to instruct their workers to keep the peace at nomination centres and to raise grievances through the returning officers rather than at the venue. Parties and candidates who believe they have been obstructed can file complaints with the election authorities, who are required to record and act on them.

Chittoor district, which borders Tamil Nadu, has seen closely contested local body elections in earlier cycles. With nominations still under way, the administration is expected to step up security at sensitive centres in the district in the coming days.