Post-poll violence in Andhra Pradesh, prohibitory orders in Palnadu district

Amaravati, May 15: Authorities have imposed prohibitory orders in the Palnadu district of Andhra Pradesh even as fresh incidents of post-poll violence were reported from some other districts on Wednesday.

On the direction of the Election Commission of India, Palnadu district authorities imposed Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code across the district and beefed up security across the district.

District Collector and Magistrate Shiva Shankar issued orders to police for imposing section 144, which prohibits public gatherings.

The prohibitory orders will be in force in Narasaraopet Lok Sabha constituency, comprising Assembly segments of Macherla, Gurazala, Vinukonda, Sattenapalle, Pedakurapadu, Narsaropet and Chilakalurpieta.

Police officials have warned that action will be taken against the gathering even of three or more persons. The authorities have banned rallies, meetings and processions till further orders.

Palnadu district reported several incidents of post-poll violence and clashes between supporters of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Meanwhile, an aide of former minister Bhuma Akhila Priya was injured in an attack by unidentified persons outside her residence in Allagadda town in Kurnool district late on Tuesday night. The assailants knocked down Nikhil by a car and later attacked him with knives. Akhila Priya is TDP’s MLA candidate from Allagadda in Kurnool district.

Following the incident, police tightened security at the TDP leader’s house.

Police also imposed section 144 in Tadipatri of Anantapur district, which witnessed clashes between TDP and YSRCP supporters during the last two days.

On Wednesday morning police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse mobs near the residences of former MLA J. C. Prabhakar Reddy and MLA Kethireddy Pedha Reddy.

Both the leaders were taken to different places by the police to defuse the tense situation in the town.

Incidents of post-poll violence were also reported from Tirupati, Chittoor and Anantapur districts on Tuesday.

Vehicles of TDP supporters were damaged allegedly by YSRCP workers at Velpur in Savalyapuram Mandal in Palnadu.

TDP office was attacked and a car and several bikes belonging to TDP workers were set on fire at Karempudi in the same district. The miscreants also attacked a police official, when he tried to stop them. The TDP has blamed the YSRCP MLA from the Macherla constituency, Pinneli Rama Krishna Reddy, for the violence.

TDP candidate from Chandragiri constituency Puliverti Venkata Mani Prasad (Nani) was attacked by a mob near Padmavati Mahila University in Tirupati when he was returning after a visit to the strong room, where EVMs were stored.

Nani’s gunman fired a round in the air to disperse the mob and protect the TDP leader and others seated in the car.

Polling was held across the state on Monday for the 175-member state Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats.