Jagan Holds Protest in Pulivendula as TDP-YSRCP Clash During Andhra Civic Polls

UPDATE - follow-up to Andhra civic polls: TDP, YSRCP workers clash in Pulivendula; 37.13% turnout by 1 p.m. | LIVE: YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy held a protest outside the Returning Officer office in Pulivendula on Sunday, demanding a fresh vote in the town after opposition polling agents were allegedly blocked from entering booths. The urban local body elections saw clashes between Telugu Desam Party and YSRCP workers, with stones thrown in some wards before police restored order. State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha noted that voting was largely peaceful elsewhere, with overall turnout reaching 37.13% by 1 p.m. Out of 96.89 lakh eligible voters, about 35.97 lakh cast their ballots, with smaller towns outpacing big cities. Visakhapatnam registered the lowest corporation turnout at 27.55%, while Kanigiri led all urban bodies at 63.36%. Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy accused the State Election Commission of bias toward the ruling NDA government and failing to ensure a fair contest. Minister Nara Lokesh responded on social media by stating that the YSRCP came well-prepared in Kadapa and that criminal elements would be handled strictly by authorities.

Context

Urban local body elections in Andhra Pradesh decide leadership for municipal corporations and town councils across the state. These contests frequently draw intense political rivalry between major state parties, leading to close oversight by election watchdogs.