Violence Flares After Voting in Chittoor, Pregnant Woman Attacked

 Tirupati: Post-poll clashes erupted between major political parties across the Chittoor region, police said on Tuesday. Cases of attacks, arson and property damage have been registered in several areas.

In Tellakuru village under Srikalahasti constituency, a pregnant woman named Aruna was allegedly attacked by a gang, believed to be the supporters of District Cooperative Bank chairman Satyanarayana Reddy of the YSR Congress. Aruna claims she voted for the Telugu Desam. She was admitted to the local government hospital.

In Bapalannattam, TD agents Babu and Nandagopal were attacked with knives and stones allegedly by a group of YSRC activists. A bystander, Keshavulu, was severely injured while he tried to intervene. He was taken in a critical condition to a hospital here.

suspected YSRC supporters set afire the drip irrigation systems of farmer Rame Gowda in Boorugumakulapalle and Venkatachalam in Balli village, under Ramakuppam mandal of Chittoor district. Both victims had worked as TD polling agents.

One of the most serious clashes occurred in Ramireddipalle, where YSRC and TD groups engaged in stone-pelting after the polls closed on Monday night. Eight villagers suffered head injuries and were hospitalized.

A car was set on fire and another vandalised amid the flare-up. YSRC candidate Chevireddy Mohith Reddy and his brother were briefly prevented from leaving the village by angry residents, who later filed police complaints against them.

Police said they have registered cases and deployed additional forces to maintain law and order across the volatile region. The cycle of retaliatory violence between party workers showed no sign of abating in the aftermath of the hotly contested election.