1 killed, Assembly Speaker attacked
Vijayawada, Apr 11 :: Violence incidents took place in Guntur, Anantapur, Kadapa and Kurnool districts during polling to 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha Constituencies in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday in which one person was killed and another critically injured while Assembly Speaker Kodela Sivaprasada Rao was attacked.
Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi said that violence incidents took place at 20 places in the state in which one person was killed in Anantapur district and several people were injured.
Mr Rao was attacked allegedly by YSRCP activists at Enamatla village in Sattenapalli constituency in Guntur district. He was thrashed, his opticals were broken and his shirt was torn by irate mob when he went to a polling station to observe the polling.
The windscreens of the car in which the Assembly Speaker was travelling was damaged by YSRCP activists by pelting stones. His followers suffered bleeding injuries. However, the Speaker escaped with minor injuries.
Talking to media, the Speaker deplored that ''he contested in six elections but never had such bad experience''.
The YSRCP wants to win the General Election by using muscle power. However, YSRCP leaders claimed that the Speaker went into the 160 polling station at Enamatla village of Rajupalem mandal and when he came out after a long time, a grapple took place between TDP and YSRCP activists in which the Speaker was attacked.
In Ahobilam in Allagadda constituency in Kurnool District, TDP and YSRCP activists clashed at each other. The TDP and YSRCP activists also clashed in Tadipatri in Anantapur district in which TDP leader Bhaskar Reddy suffered injuries and his condition is said to be critical.
The police as a precautionary measure detained Kadapa TDP President Srinivasulu Reddy at Lakkireddypalle village. The TDP and YSRCP activists clashed in Atmakuru in Nellore district.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed anger over the attack on Assembly Spaker and Chinta Bhaskar Reddy in Tadipatri in Anantapur district. Condemning the attacks by the YSRCP activists, he said that with the fear of defeat it carried out such attacks on TDP leaders. (Agency)