Local body polls largely peaceful

• Sporadic incidents mar the polling
• SI opens fire in air in self-defence
• Party activists clash in three districts

Hyderabad: Opening of fire in air at a polling station by an SI in self-defence, sporadic clashes between party activists marred the local body elections on Sunday. Over 70% voting was reported in the elections to 557 Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) and 8,250 Mandal Parishad Territorial Constituencies (MPTCs) in the State. Save for sporadic clashes, the polling was largely peaceful.

An SI Suresh came under attack when some villagers of Morampalli Banjar in Burgampadu mandal in Khammam district were prevented from taking over the polling station. He had to open fire in self-defence to disperse the mob. Earlier, Banjar sarpanch Borra Srinivas was stopped by the official from repeatedly coming to the polling station. Srinivas got into an argument with the police official, who used force on him. This enraged the sarpanch’s followers who tried to attack the SI. The latter had to run into the polling station and with the mob turning more violent, he fired in the air. Trainee ASP Bhaskar with additional forces rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.

Meanwhile, three persons were injured in stone-pelting by the YSRCP and the TDP activists at Mogalur in Kanchikacherla mandal in Krishna district. Police lathi-charged them and dispersed them. Darsi CI Pratap Kumar beat up three persons at Ambadipudi in Ballikurava mandal in Prakasam district, after they objected to his directive to remove a tent erected for providing shelter to voters. Residents staged a demonstration and the row ended after the DSP intervened.

A YSRCP activist was seriously injured in a clash near a polling booth, between the party supporters and TDP activists at Muthyalammapalem in Paravada mandal in Visakhapatnam district. The tense situation subsided after police dispersed the groups, after taking three persons into custody. Residents expressed their ire at the police for not providing adequate security despite the village being identified as a sensitive one. Residents of CHL Puram in Nakkapalli mandal of the district, protested against ‘over-enthusiasm’ of police and attack by Nakkapalli SI Vijaykumar who was on patrol duty. They ended the protest after he apologised.

Supporters of TRS and TDP got into a serious argument at Ramapuram in Kollapur mandal in Mahabubnagar district, after a poll official asked the voters to voter ID cards along with slips. At Pentlavilli village, voters got confused as they found discrepancies in the list and the voter slips issued by officials.

Tension prevailed near a polling booth in Kannepalli of Bhimini mandal in Adilabad district after the activists of TRS and the Congress came to blows. Police caned them and restored calm.

TRS leader Puttu Madhu lodged a complaint with police and RDO against Srinu Babu, brother of former Minister D Sridhar Babu, accusing him of abducting the party agent Sudhakar. Residents of Allur and Redlapalem in TV Palem mandal in Guntur district announced boycott of polling, resenting change of polling booth. As a result the two booths were deserted.

On Saturday night, angry residents of Akula Kondur in Nizamabad mandal assaulted police personnel and damaged their jeep, after the police allegedly rebuked a local youth for moving near a polling station. This led to tension and arguments. Vikramjeet Duggal, SP, visited the village on Sunday morning and reviewed the situation.