Now Reading: Avinash Reddy seeks SEC intervention over Pulivendula violence
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Avinash Reddy seeks SEC intervention over Pulivendula violence
Kadapa YSRC MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy has alleged that police acted in a partisan manner during the nomination process in Pulivendula on Saturday, 17 October 2026, and urged the State Election Commission to intervene. He alleged that hundreds of Telugu Desam supporters were allowed near the municipal office while YSRC supporters faced a lathi-charge and tear gas, and accused a DSP of pointing an AK-47 at YSRC candidates. He also claimed nomination papers were snatched and torn.
TDP in-charge Mareddy Ravindranath Reddy blamed the YSRC for the violence, saying its supporters could not tolerate the number of aspirants filing nominations freely. Police officials said the heavy crowd on an 'auspicious date' led to the violence, adding that around 500 people violated prohibitory orders and were stopped with reasonable force. Avinash Reddy demanded security for all candidates and free and fair elections.
Indian Opinion Analysis
Deccan Chronicle leads with the YSRC MP's allegations of police partisanship and a DSP pointing an AK-47, framing the event as official overreach. The Hindu gives equal weight to the YSRC protest, the TDP counter-accusation, and the police account that heavy crowds on an auspicious date led to law enforcement using reasonable force. The Hindu's inclusion of the police statement and the TDP version provides a more complete picture than Deccan Chronicle's single-source complaint. The key factual dispute, whether police targeted YSRC supporters or stopped law-breakers from both sides, remains unresolved and will likely shape the SEC's next steps.
Coverage: 2 sources, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
Sources (2): deccanchronicle.com (government critical), thehindu.com (neutral report)
This brief was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above, so one read covers every framing they carry. Methodology and corrections.
