BJP, Congress supporters clash in Munugode

Hyderabad: With only 10 days until the Munugode byelection on November 3, the constituency appears to be on the boil. On Sunday, with a clash broke out between BJP and Congress supporters during Congress candidate Palvai Sravanthi's campaign.

Tempers flared when Sravanthi, accompanied by hundreds of her supporters, entered Nampally mandal for her campaign and BJP leaders and activists allegedly blocked her path. Her convoy was halted due to traffic congestion.

With police personnel not deployed in force, and only three officers present, the situation spiralled out of control after heated arguments between the two groups. The BJP activists were reportedly unyielding when Congress activists demanded that their path be cleared.

Sravanthi reportedly got out of her vehicle at this point and entered into an argument with the BJP leaders and activists. This soon deteriorated into a scuffle between both side, and some persons threw stones at Sravanthi's car.

As the situation went out of control, Sravanthi called Nalgonda superintendent of police (SP) R. Rema Rajeswari and filed a complaint against the BJP activists for trying to disrupt her election campaign.

Later, Sravanthi and other Congress activists sat on a dharna, holding black flags on Nampally's main intersection, demanding immediate action against BJP leaders and activists. She claimed that BJP leaders had halted her convoy and humiliated her cadre by using foul language.

Condemning the incident, TPCC president A. Revanth Reddy stated that the party would file a complaint with the Election Commission to prevent the BJP candidate from contesting the byelection, and that the attack on Sravanthi's convoy is an indication that the BJP will lose in Munugode.