Updated April 11th, 2019 at 18:49 IST
YSRCP's MLA MS Babu attacked by alleged TDP cadre in Chittoor district in Andhra Pradesh amid poll violence in the state
Amid the unsavoury scenes that were witnessed in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday as the state saw the first phase of Lok Sabha elections as well as assembly elections being held simultaneously, YSRCP MLA candidate MS Babu was also attacked, in Chittoor
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Amid the unsavoury scenes that were witnessed in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday as the state saw the first phase of Lok Sabha elections as well as assembly elections being held simultaneously, YSRCP MLA candidate MS Babu was also attacked, in Chittoor. His car was targeted by alleged TDP cadre while he was going to a police station. During the incident, the MLA's car was damaged and its windows were shattered. He was then dragged out and brutally beaten.
The YSRCP alleges that he was subsequently kidnapped, taken to a nearby location and beaten even more. The attack was allegedly in response to another attack on a TDP leader in the Guntoor district of the state by YSRCP, sources said.
Sources also added that clashes began in Andhra Pradesh because both YSRCP and TDP blamed each other of using forceful or underhand means to woo voters on the day of the election.
Clashed had begun earlier on Thursday morning, soon after the elections began, as activists of TDP and YSRCP attacked each other near polling booth No.197 at Veerapuram in Tadipatri constituency of Anantapur district. Two TDP activists died in the violence.
READ: Two TDP Workers Killed In Clash Between TDP And YSRCP activists In Andhra Pradesh's Anantapur
The situation took a serious turn when similar clashes broke out between YSRCP and TDP workers in Puthalapattu Constituency in Bandarlapalli following which the AP Police resorted to lathi-charge to control the situation. YSRCP candidate Kodali Nani and TDP candidate Venkatramarao came to blows.
In the aftermath of the incident, YSRCP wrote to the Election Commission that Chandrababu Naidu and TDP are instigating violence in the state during elections. The Jagan Mohan Reddy-led party went on to request the EC to take appropriate action to ensure that the elections in Andhra Pradesh are conducted in a free and fair manner.
Elections are taking place in all the 25 Lok Sabha seats of Andhra Pradesh and the state is also simultaneously polling for the 175 assembly seats.
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Published April 11th, 2019 at 16:09 IST