High tension in Punganur as TDP cadres protest MP Midhun

Tirupati: Punganurtown witnessed unrest as TDP cadres protested against Rajampet MP Peddireddi Midhun Reddy on Thursday as the post-election violence continued in the constituency. After former minister Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy and subsequently his brother, Thamballapalle MLA Dwarakanatha Reddy, now it is the turn of his son and Rajampet MP Peddireddi Midhun Reddy to face the ire of TDP cadres.

The situation escalated when Midhun Reddy attempted to visit former Chittoor MP N Reddeppa’s residence. Strongly opposing his entry, TDP cadres gathered there in large numbers while YSRCP workers also mobilised in support of the MP, leading to a volatile atmosphere that required substantial police intervention. Large numbers of police were deployed to maintain order as tensions peaked.

The situation further worsened with TDP activists raising slogans against Midhun Reddy which escalated into violence as activists from both parties threw stones and chairs at each other. The clash resulted in several injuries, prompting a significant police mobilisation to restore order. The gunman of Midhun Reddy had fired two rounds in self-defence.

Midhun Reddy condemned the incident saying that the ruling TDP has been instigating violence ever since it came to power. “It is highly deplorable that they were not even allowing me to visit my constituency even though I have a constitutional right,” he commented.

Former CM and YSRCP president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy also condemned the attack on social media platform ‘X’ terming it as a highly deplorable incident.

Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy strongly denounced the attack on his colleague and YSRCP floor leader in Lok Sabha, Midhun Reddy. He emphasised the alarming lack of security for an elected MP, raising concerns about the overall safety and security of the public in the state.

In the recent elections, Midhun Reddy, his father Ramachandra Reddy, uncle Dwarakanath, and Tirupati MP Dr M Gurumoorthy were re-elected from their respective constituencies under the YSRCP banner.

Despite these victories, the majority of other seats were secured by TDP candidates. Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy, in particular, won the Punganur seat by a narrow margin of just over 6,000 votes, and has since faced ongoing hostility from TDP supporters who have barred him from entering the constituency.