Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta confirmed 31 election-related disturbances across 13 districts in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday, shattering the calm expected during local body poll nominations. The incidents weren't just minor scuffles; they involved physical clashes, stone pelting, and the deliberate destruction of nomination papers. Anantapur led the tally with eight incidents, while Annamayya, Kadapa, Prakasam, and Tirupati each reported three. The violence was targeted. Candidates from the TDP, YSRCP, and CPI(M), along with independents, found their papers snatched or torn at Mandal Parishad offices and Returning Officer desks.
The damage was concrete and severe. Four vehicles burned to the ground. Two residential houses were attacked, one demolished by an earth-mover. A police escorting three candidates took a direct hit from stones, leaving a constable with a grievous head injury. Two others, including a contesting candidate, suffered serious injuries. It’s a grim reminder of how quickly bureaucratic processes turn into battlegrounds in this state.
Gupta’s office moved fast to contain the fallout. Police booked 16 cases immediately, with 11 more under registration. Four suspects were caught at the scene, and 54 individuals were named as accused in the FIRs. Preventive action under Section 170 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) was slapped on two persons. The legal hammer is coming down hard, invoking sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for rioting, assault on public servants, and election-related undue influence.
The DGP left no room for ambiguity: those with a history of election violence will face binding-over proceedings and history-sheet openings. All Superintendents and Commissioners of Police received a directive to arrest offenders without delay and deploy additional forces at sensitive nomination centers. The investigation is now sifting through CCTV footage and video recordings to identify the remaining perpetrators. The message is clear. The state will not tolerate the disruption of the democratic process, and the net is tightening around every instigator and participant.