YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and the NDA government of undermining democracy and engaging in anarchic politics in the ongoing Pulivendula and Ontimitta ZPTC by-elections.

In a post on X on Sunday, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that Mr. Naidu was resorting to conspiracies, intimidation, and misuse of official machinery to influence the outcome of the by-elections.

The TDP leaders, with the cooperation of certain officials and police officers, had orchestrated violence against the YSRCP cadres while creating conditions for booth capturing, he said.

From the moment the by-election notification was issued, the police began binding over hundreds of YSRCP workers, including individuals with no criminal record, solely to intimidate them, he alleged.

On August 5, in Pulivendula, TDP supporters attacked YSRCP leaders attending a wedding, leaving Amaresh Reddy and Saidapuram Suresh Reddy severely injured, he alleged. The TDP gangs attempted to murder YSRCP MLC Ramesh Yadav and Velpula Ramalinga Reddy near Nallagondavaripalle by smashing their car with sticks, stones, and rods, and pouring petrol in an attempt to set it on fire, while the police stood by without intervening, he alleged.

Instead of arresting the attackers, the police filed SC/ST case against Velpula Ramu and 50 others on August 6. The officials shifted polling booths from villages to distant locations, forcing thousands of YSRCP supporters in Pulivendula to travel two to four km to vote, he said.

On the night of August 8, twelve people were arrested in connection with the case against Velpula Ramalinga Reddy, with YSRCP claiming that some of those named were in police custody during the alleged incident.

While four were later released after evidence was presented, eight were remanded. “On polling day, the TDP plans to suppress voter turnout and prevent the reporting of attacks, atrocities, and booth capturing by targeting live broadcast vehicles and equipment,” he said.

Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy said these incidents make it shameful to call this a democratic election, but expressed faith that truth and justice would prevail.