The police have arrested over 250 accused out of more than 430 found to have been involved in nearly 30 offences, on the polling day and later in Palnadu district. The arrested belong to both YSRCP and TDP in the district.
The accused resorted to violence by hurling stones, petrol bottles, burning vehicles, and clashing with sticks, creating panic among the public. They also unlawfully entered polling stations and damaged EVMs and other polling equipment at Macherla, Gurazala, Narasaraopet, Sattenapalli, Pedakurapadu and Vinukonda Assembly constituencies, the police said.
A total of 27 cases were registered, 20 on the day of polling and seven in the following days. Nine of them were major incidents that happened on the polling day, including five inside polling stations.
The TDP and YSRCP leaders and cadres were among the accused.
Meanwhile, Guntur Range IGP Sarvashresta Tripathi has been monitoring the developments by camping at Macherla. ‘‘The law and order situation in the district is under control and normalcy is being restored in the violence-hit villages,’‘ Mr. Tripathi told The Hindu.
The District Collector, Siva Sankar Lotheti, said prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr.P.C. have been imposed and would remain in force in many parts of the district until all the accused are arrested.
The District Superintendent of Police G. Bindu Madhav said that the police would take stringent action on the perpetrators of violence.
Explosives found
Addressing the media on Thursday, Mr. Madhav said that during search operations they traced certain explosives along with petrol bottles at Pinnelli village in Macherla Assembly constituency. Stating that investigation is on to nab the persons behind the stocking of the explosives, he urged political functionaries to restrain from provoking or indulging in violence.
