Hyderabad: Violence reminiscent of the turbulent 1980s and 1990s has marked polling day and its aftermath in Andhra Pradesh amid a backdrop of unpredictable voter sentiment.
The state, with an electorate of 4.14 crore according to the Election Commission of India (ECI), voted in the simultaneous assembly and Lok Sabha elections on 13 May, marked by a heated contest between the incumbent Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) led by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition under Chandrababu Naidu. The EC reported a record turnout of 81.86 percent — a 2 percent increase from the 2019 polls.
A series of major incidents of violence was reported especially from Palnadu, Ananthapuramu and Tirupati districts earlier this week.
Shows of strength — and in some cases, alleged electoral tampering — led to clashes between YSRCP and TDP supporters, who resorted to stick fights, stone-throwing, and even petrol bombs and crude weaponry, like sickles, axes and hammers, resulting in bloodshed.
The conflict escalated to the burning of vehicles — bikes, cars, jeeps — and damage to property, including party offices and houses, causing widespread fear and forcing businesses to close.
Amid soaring temperatures and rising tensions, the police, outnumbered and overwhelmed, struggled to manage the chaos, with some officers sustaining injuries. They had to resort to lathi charges and tear gas to bring the situation under control in other places.
While Opposition leader Naidu wrote to Governor Abdul Nazeer alleging “YSRCP goons as wreaking havoc, creating fear among the public” and requested his intervention, a YSRCP delegation led by minister Botcha Satyanarayana met the governor Thursday blaming Naidu’s support for violence by the TDP cadre.
Following an outcry, and in an unprecedented move, the EC summoned Chief Secretary (CS) Jawahar Reddy and Director General of Police (DGP) Harish Gupta to New Delhi Thursday, “to personally explain reasons for the failure of administration in containing post-poll violence.”
Based on its assessment of negligence and lack of supervision in violence-hit districts, the EC, among other actions, ordered the suspension of the superintendents of police (SPs) for Palnadu and Ananthapuramu — Garikapati Bindu Madhav and Amit Bardar, respectively. It also transferred Palnadu district collector Siva Sankar Lotheti and SP Tirupati Krishnakanth Patel, and ordered a departmental inquiry into all these officials.
The EC also ordered the suspension of 12 subordinate police officers, including deputy SPs and inspectors, in these three districts.
Based on the EC’s orders, DGP Gupta Friday night constituted a special investigation team (SIT) led by Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vineet Brij Lal to review the investigation into violent offences that occurred since Monday and update the FIRs with additional appropriate IPC sections and other relevant statutory provisions.
The SIT was to submit its action taken report in each of the cases within two days, according to the 16 May EC order.
The EC’s actions come in the wake of deteriorating law and order, with accusations of political meddling and police hesitancy in enforcing the law in several places.
Palnadu in coastal Andhra and some parts of Rayalaseema are politically sensitive areas infamous for poll-time violence in the past too.
The constituencies of Macherla, Gurazala, and Tadipatri were particularly hard-hit, leading to the imposition of Section 144 and house arrests of a few legislators and candidates to maintain order.
Hundreds of offenders, including over 90 supporters of the TDP and the YSRCP in Tadipatri, were arrested and sent to remand.
A police flag march was conducted in Tadipatri Friday evening, indicating the prevailing tension in the Rayalaseema town.
Meanwhile, in Tirupati, violent clashes, caught on camera, broke out at the Sri Padmavathi Women’s University Tuesday when the TDP’s Chandragiri candidate, Pulivarthi Nani, went to inspect the EVMs stored in strong rooms.
Assailants, allegedly YSRCP men, hurled beer bottles and stones at his vehicle and Nani’s gunman had to fire two rounds in the air to disperse the unruly mob. An injured and unconscious Nani was taken to a hospital as his men set two motorbikes of YSRCP supporters on fire and damaged a car.
In the Gurazala constituency in Palnadu, YSRCP MLA and candidate Kasu Mahesh Reddy alleged police inaction against TDP supporters and demanded EC action against the officials.
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‘Suspension unfair’
After the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect, the EC in the first week of April ordered transfers of several IPS officers, including SPs of Palnadu, Ananthapuramu, Chittoor, Prakasam and Nellore, as well as Guntur Range IG Pala Raju. Thus, it was on the EC’s orders that Garikapati Bindu Madhav and Amit Bardar took charge as SPs of Palnadu and Anantapuramu a month before the polls.
Following the TDP’s complaints, the EC in the first week of May also transferred then-state police chief Kasireddy Rajendranath Reddy to a non-election-related post. He was succeeded by Gupta.
Speaking to ThePrint, J.V. Ramudu, former DGP of Andhra Pradesh, said that the two IPS suspensions now by the EC were unfair and unjustified.
“The EC action is based on the submissions of the chief secretary and DGP and not a proper enquiry. The two young officers hardly had any time to get the faction-ridden, troublesome areas under their control. Besides, several subordinate level officials like DSPs, circle inspectors and SIs known to favour one or the other politician remained in their posts, and in many instances, were reluctant to act on the SP’s orders to quell clashes,” Ramudu, who comes from a village near Tadipatri, told ThePrint.
“Facing pressures from the top and disobedience from below, how much can one SP do?” he added. The retired police chief claimed that in many instances, CIs, SIs, and even DSPs are posted according to the local MLAs and ministers’ preferences.
Meanwhile, weeks before the MCC kicked in, the YSRCP government ordered several IPS transfers as well as the transfers of subordinate officers, including 21 additional SPs.
Large-scale violence and murder attempts — which used to be a common affair during the polls till two decades ago — have returned to the state this time after the last two-three general elections, which were largely peaceful.
“The pre-poll transfer of some allegedly YSRCP-leaning police officers by the EC boosted the TDP’s morale. Some of the Opposition’s lower rung leaders and cadres vented their pent-up anger of the past five years, while YSRCP cadres also acted in frustration in some places,” said D.A.R. Subrahmanyam, chairman of the Guntur-based Navyandhra Intellectual Forum.
According to Subrahmanyam, the EC summoning the CS and the DGP was “a bit of an overreaction”.
“However, noting the breakdown of law and order in some places, it might be a precautionary measure to ensure strict vigilance for the post-results situation. Whether the YSRCP or the TDP wins, there is a high probability of unrest, clashes, violence on or post 4 June,” he told ThePrint.
Meanwhile, the EC led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar and ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu conveyed their displeasure over the post-poll violence in Andhra Pradesh.
“Without mincing any words, the Commission directed CS and DGP to ensure that such violence is not repeated and all SPs to be tasked to take pre-emptive measures to avoid such a situation in future. The Commission reviewed the cases at their level and directed CS and DGP for strict supervision, to ensure appropriate decision on timely filing of chargesheet against the culprits, as per law, preferably within the model code of conduct period,” said the EC press release Thursday.
Further, upon the state government’s request, the commission decided to direct the Ministry of Home Affairs to retain the 25 CAPF companies in Andhra Pradesh for 15 days after counting, to control any possible violence following the election results.
(Edited by Richa Mishra)
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