Pulivendula ZPTC bypolls: Kadapa MP Avinash Reddy and TDP MLC placed under house arrest; 1,500 Andhra police deployed

TIRUPATI: The Kadapa district police wing took several ruling TDP and YSRCP leaders and activists into preventive custody and placed a few others under house arrest as a precautionary measure to ensure the smooth conduct of the Pulivendula and Vontimitta ZPTC by-polls on Tuesday.

As sporadic incidents of violence involving the ruling TDP and the YSRCP were reported during the campaign phase, the district police arrested Kadapa MP YS Avinash Reddy and placed YSRCP leader and former MLC SV Satish Reddy and TDP MLC Bhumireddy Ramgopal Reddy under house arrest ahead of the commencement of the ZPTC election on Tuesday. Police stormed into the Kadapa MP’s residence at Pulivendula and forcibly sent out several YSRCP activists who gathered there anticipating police action.

High drama and commotion prevailed for a brief while but eventually Avinash Reddy was taken into custody by the police.Read More: Andhra Pradesh HC rejects YSRCP plea to shift Pulivendula ZPTC polling station; grants interim relief to party leaders booked over rally violence, stone-pelting on rivalsMeanwhile, the ZPTC by-polls commenced on a peaceful note at Pulivendula and Vontimitta on Tuesday morning, with voters queuing up to the designated polling booths very early in the morning itself.While 11 contestants each are contesting from the Pulivendula and the Vontimitta ZPTC seats, the contest has narrowed down between the TDP and the YSRCP in both the constituencies.

The TDP has fielded former MLC B Tech Ravi’s wife while the YSRCP has fielded Hemanth Reddy at Pulivendula ZPTC segment.With about 10000 plus voters each to exercise their votes in the ballot papers format at Pulivendula and at Vontimitta ,the Kadapa district police wing has mobilised 1500 police personnel for the smooth conduct of the by-polls which will end at around 5 pm on Tuesday.Kurnool DIG Koya Praveen and Kadapa SP EG Ashok Kumar are closely monitoring the polling process and have focused their attention on sensitive villages especially in the Pulivendula ZPTC segment which are prone to violence.