Petrol Bombs Hurled During Andhra Pradesh Local Body Polls; TDP and YSRCP Trade Blame

Tensions escalated at several locations across Andhra Pradesh on Thursday as polling for Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency (ZPTC) and Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituency (MPTC) elections was disrupted by alleged petrol bomb attacks and clashes between supporters of rival political parties.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) accused each other of being responsible for the violence reported from parts of YSR Kadapa, Tirupati and other districts.

In Errampalli village of the Pulivendula constituency in YSR Kadapa district, petrol bombs were reportedly thrown near a polling station, creating panic among voters and local residents. Pulivendula is regarded as a stronghold of YSRCP chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

According to reports, tensions rose after police stopped a group of YSRCP workers from entering a polling booth. Unidentified individuals subsequently hurled petrol bombs near the polling centre. No casualties were reported. Police deployed additional personnel to prevent further disturbances.

Another incident was reported from Nallapureddypalle village in Penagaluru mandal of Tirupati district. YSRCP leaders alleged that supporters of the TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) attacked their polling agents with petrol bombs.

Tensions also surfaced in Nanduluru in YSR Kadapa district after police intercepted vehicles suspected of bringing outsiders into the area.

Elsewhere, clashes were reported between TDP and YSRCP supporters in Chilakalapalli village of Parvathipuram Manyam district. In Vizianagaram district, workers from the YSRCP and Jana Sena Party reportedly clashed near a polling station. Police intervened at both locations to restore order.

21.12 Per Cent Voter Turnout Recorded by 11 AM

Meanwhile, the State Election Commission (SEC) reported a voter turnout of 21.12 per cent by 11 a.m.

Polling began at 7 a.m. across 31,460 polling stations and is scheduled to continue until 5 p.m. Approximately 2.61 crore voters are eligible to cast their ballots in the elections.

Voting is being conducted for 582 ZPTC seats and 7,767 MPTC seats across Andhra Pradesh.