Tension prevailed in Tadipatri town of Anantapur district when supporters of the TDP and YSRCP clashed at a polling booth on Monday.
Trouble began when sitting MLA and YSRCP candidate Kethireddi Peddareddy and TDP candidate J.C. Ashmit Reddy, along with his father and Tadipatri Municipal Chairman Prabhakar Reddy, arrived at the polling station at the same time and got into a brawl over who should enter the polling booth first. The tension escalated when the supporters of both parties’ leaders joined the heated argument.
Police intervention could not stop a large mob gathering and resorting to stone pelting at the parked cars near the polling station.
Minutes later, a curfew-like situation prevailed at the Om Shanti Nagar locality, and the residents were caught in a panic.
Five cars, including Mr. Peddareddy’s vehicle, were damaged in the clash.
Soon, senior police officials arrived at the scene and managed to pacify both groups.
Superintendent of Police (Anantapur) Amit Bardar told The Hindu that the situation was immediately brought under control. “I was passing through Tadipatri town when the incident took place. I could immediately rush to the spot, and the situation was normal within five minutes,” he said, denying reports that some police vehicles were also damaged.
In Kalayanadurgam and Gooty, sporadic incidents of arguments and minor clashes between the leaders of TDP-BJP-JSP and YSRCP were reported. The police officials termed them as minor.
