Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh) [India], August 12 : Voters in Andhra Pradesh's Kadapa district have alleged denial of voting rights, threats, and inaction by police during the Mallikarjunapuram Panchayat elections.
Speaking to ANI, a voter, Basavayya, alleged that he was not allowed to cast his vote, and later found that his vote had already been recorded.
"I went to cast my vote in the morning around 7 am, but the officials and police denied me entry. They later asked me to come at 11 a.m., yet even then, they did not allow me to vote. Later, they told me that my vote had already been cast. This act is completely undemocratic," he said.
A voter, Malleswari, alleged, "We were not allowed to cast our votes and were threatened. I don't understand why they are threatening us for simply going to vote. Even the police remained silent while they were threatening us. Is this the democratic way?"
Earlier today, as voters in Pulivendula queued up at polling stations in Andhra's Kadapa district to exercise their franchise in the ZPTC bye elections, the Kadapa Lok Sabha MP Avinash Reddy, among others from YSRCP, were taken into preventive custody by police.
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP condemned the "atrocious act" of the police, alleging that he, along with others, were placed under house arrest without any prior notice or valid reason, while hundreds of TDP supporters had entered Pulivendula without facing any action.
The MP alleged that the police were acting like TDP goons, targeting YSRCP leaders and workers instead of maintaining law and order. He pointed out that YSRCP polling agents were attacked, and over a hundred TDP members, armed with sticks and rods, were seen waiting to target them.
Reddy claimed that such actions exposed the bias of the police and the political interference aimed at disrupting a free and fair election atmosphere in Pulivendula.
"Chandrababu Naidu has shown his true colours today. Pulivendula is a very small mandal with only 10,000 votes. Today, a by-election for Pulivendula was held. Thousands of TDP supporters flooded into Pulivendula with the outright support of the police and prevented polling agents from entering the polling booths. They have threatened the voters, taken the voter slips and gone inside and cast duplicate votes. In fact, just now I have read the names... So this is the modus operandi of the TDP..." Avinash Reddy said.
Avinash Reddy and other leaders had taken out a protest rally in Yerraguntla against the TDP-led State government over alleged malpractices in the ZPTC election.
The Pulivendula zilla parishad territorial constituency (ZPTC) bye polls were necessitated after the death of YSRCP leader T Maheshwar Reddy. The YSRCP has fielded its son, Hemanth Reddy, while the TDP has fielded Latha Reddy, and the Congress has fielded Shiva Kalyan Reddy.
Pulivendula ZPTC candidate Hemanth Reddy stated that, with the support of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and YS Avinash Reddy, he was given the opportunity to contest in the ZPTC elections. However, he said the current situation is against the law. "We are unable to cast our votes, and we are being threatened. Even our polling agents have faced intimidation. As per norms, there should be restrictions around polling stations, but here the situation is completely different. TDP goons from other districts and mandals have gathered here and are threatening voters," Hemanth Reddy alleged.
A ZPTC bye-poll was also conducted in Vontimitta of the Kadapa district today. The election was necessitated after YSRCP's Akepati Amarnath Reddy resigned after winning the Rajampet Assembly election in 2024. TDP's Muddu Krishna Reddy, YSRCP's Iragamreddy Subbareddy and Congress' Vijay Bhaskar are among those contesting the poll.