Jagan demands re-poll in Pulivendula Vontimitta ZPTC seats under Central security

    Amaravati, Aug 13 (PTI) YSRCP president Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday demanded the cancellation of the Pulivendula and Vontimitta ZPTC bypolls held on August 12, alleging they were conducted in an "undemocratic and tyrannical" manner, and sought fresh polls under the protection of Central security forces.
    Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters in Tadepalli, Reddy alleged that the TDP-led NDA government "restrained YSRCP polling agents, intimidated voters, and rigged votes."
    “Cancel the two elections and re-conduct them under Central forces. Democracy is invisible in the state,” he alleged, flanked by the two YSRCP candidates. The party, he added, would approach the court.
    Jagan accused State Election Commissioner Nilam Sawhney of playing a “dummy role” and failing to check alleged excesses by ruling party leaders, cadres, and police. For 10,600 votes in 15 booths, 700 police personnel were deployed “to terrorise voters,” he claimed, adding that polling booths were shifted midway to “threaten voters or send them back.”
    He alleged that police were “handpicked” to act in a biased manner and please Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who, according to him, harassed officers who did not “toe his line.”
    Jagan alleged that YSRCP polling agents were denied entry, their authorisation forms torn up, and their role in verifying voters, identifying impersonators, and sealing ballot boxes was obstructed.
    Vontimitta YSRCP candidate Subba Reddy termed the polls a “mockery of democracy,” alleging large-scale rigging by Transport Minister Ramprasad Reddy, who he claimed led 300 supporters across 17 booths to assault agents, evict them, and even make ballot boxes "disappear."
    He further alleged that the homes of 50 YSRCP workers were attacked two days before polling and that complaints to the local joint collector and SP went unheeded.
    Calling August 12 a “dark day,” Subba Reddy claimed people had “seen everything and will deliver justice.”
    Reacting to the allegations, Finance Minister P Keshav claimed Pulivendula witnessed “free and fair” polls for the first time.
    “It may be uncomfortable to you (Jagan). The fear you built over the years was dismantled by the police and the independent election commission, and now the fear is in you,” he claimed.
    The Pulivendula ZPTC bypoll is politically significant as the local assembly constituency is represented by Jagan Mohan Reddy.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)