TDP Goons Wreak Havoc in Pulivendula, Assault YSRCP Leaders Ahead of ZPTC Elections
YSRCP leaders injured in attack, party accuses TDP of poll violence
Pulivendula ZPTC poll scheduled for August 12
Tensions flared in Nalgondavaripalli village ahead of the upcoming ZPTC by-election in Pulivendula after YSRCP MLC Ramesh Yadav and party leader Velpula Ramu were allegedly attacked. The incident has sparked outrage within the YSR Congress Party, which has squarely blamed TDP workers for the violence, accusing them of resorting to such tactics out of fear of losing the poll.
Disturbing visuals have surfaced, showing vehicles vandalized and the injured leaders being rushed to a hospital. The YSRCP has condemned the attack in strong terms, labelling the TDP “anti-BC” for targeting Ramesh Yadav, a member of the Backward Class community.
The Pulivendula by-election has become a fierce battleground, with both YSRCP and TDP leaving no stone unturned to secure a win. The election was necessitated by the death of YSRCP ZPTC member Maheshwar Reddy during a temple chariot procession three years ago. His son Hemant Reddy is contesting as the YSRCP candidate, while the TDP has fielded Latha Reddy, wife of controversial leader B.Tech Ravi (Mareddy Ravindranath Reddy). Voting is scheduled for August 12.
Pulivendula has long been a YSRCP stronghold. Party chief and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is the sitting MLA. His father, the late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, represented the constituency for decades—from 1978 to 1989 and again from 1994 until his death in 2009. YS Vijayamma, his wife, won the seat in a by-election in 2010, followed by YS Jagan from 2014 onwards.
In the wake of the attack, YSRCP workers have raised serious concerns over the fairness of the upcoming election. They accused the police of being mere spectators while “TDP goons unleashed terror.”
Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy visited the hospital to check on Ramu’s condition and condemned the incident. Meanwhile, fear has gripped villagers, with some alleging that TDP members threatened them, doused their houses with petrol, and attempted to coerce them into supporting the party.
The incident has once again raised alarm over what the YSRCP describes as a “complete collapse of law and order” under the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh.
