YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, chief of the YSRCP, on Tuesday called for the imposition of President’s Rule in Andhra Pradesh, citing a collapse of law and order amid local body polls.
He demanded deployment of central paramilitary units and full CCTV coverage for the October 28 elections, arguing that the ruling TDP coalition had used state machinery to intimidate opposition candidates.
Naidu, the TDP chief minister, fired back, accusing YSRCP of bringing in criminal elements from neighbouring states to stir unrest in Punganur, Rayachoti, Dharmavaram, Tirupati, Pulivendula and Darsi.
The clash escalated in Kuppam, Naidu’s Chittoor constituency, when TDP and YSRCP workers traded blows near a nomination centre, prompting a lathi‑charge that left several injured and sent ambulances to local hospitals.
The State Election Commission, led by Anil Chandra Punetha, scheduled 100 urban local body polls for October 28, with subsequent MPTC and ZPTC elections on November 3, and gram panchayat elections later in November and December.
The central government is expected to respond to the demands by Friday, with a decision on whether to deploy paramilitary forces or negotiate a policing framework before the polls.