MLA, voter slap each other, EC takes action

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken swift action following an incident where YSRCP Tenali MLA Annabattuni Shivakumar allegedly assaulted a voter within a polling station. In response, the ECI has directed officials to place the MLA under house arrest and initiate legal proceedings against him.
The altercation occurred when MLA Annabattuni Shivakumar arrived at a polling station to cast his vote and was urged by a voter to join the queue like everyone else.
Enraged by this request, the MLA reportedly slapped the voter. In retaliation, the voter slapped back, leading to a physical altercation between the MLA’s supporters and the voter.
In a concerning turn of events, rather than receiving immediate medical attention, the injured voter was taken to the police station and charged for allegedly assaulting the MLA. The incident quickly gained traction on social media, prompting the ECI to intervene decisively.
Questions have been raised regarding the presence of a large entourage accompanying the MLA inside the polling station, with TDP leaders criticizing the lack of restraint displayed by the MLA. A YSRCP insider, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged the impropriety of the MLA’s actions.
In a separate incident, YSRCP Guntur LS candidate Kilari Rosaiah faced criticism for his behaviour at a polling station, where female voters objected to his conduct.
Concerns have been expressed within the YSRCP about the negative impact of such incidents on public perception. A senior party figure remarked that MLA Shivakumar should have exercised restraint and acted responsibly.
At another polling station in Guntur, voters voiced their discontent, stating that they had entrusted the YSRCP with their vote only to be met with violence. Similar incidents were reported in Macherla, where followers of MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy engaged in violence, damaging vehicles near a polling station.
Opposition parties condemned the inaction of the police and highlighted instances of EVM damage in Macherla, resulting in the suspension of polling. Clashes between YSRCP and TDP activists halted the voting process at the Tummarakota polling booth, leading to a tense situation in the village. TDP candidate Julakanti Brahmanand Reddy’s vehicle was also targeted in an attack at Rentala village while he was monitoring polling activities.
In response to the incident, TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh commended the voters who retaliated against the YSRCP MLA, praising their courage.