Tension gripped Mantralayam in Kurnool district on Friday after clashes erupted between TDP and YSRCP cadres. Two vehicles were set ablaze before police intervened to separate the warring groups. What began as a minor dispute escalated into a significant confrontation between the two parties, causing tension in several villages, including Rampuram, Basapuram, Madhavaram, and Kosigi.
According to sources, a group of YSRCP cadres heading to Kosigi for the party's 'Chandrababu Vennupotuki Rendellu' protest programme stopped briefly near the residence of TDP’s Mantralayam constituency in-charge Raghavendra Reddy. They burst firecrackers and raised slogans, which angered local TDP workers who were waiting for the YSRCP cadres' return from the protest.
When the YSRCP cadres were returning, they were reportedly attacked by a group of TDP activists near Madhavaram. During the attack, a four-wheeler and a motorcycle were set on fire. Both vehicles were reduced to ashes by the time fire tenders arrived. As news of the attack spread, supporters of YSRCP legislator Y Balanagi Reddy gathered in large numbers and attempted to head towards Madhavaram but were stopped by police near Ramapuram. Angered by the developments, YSRCP cadres staged a sit-in protest on the road, further escalating tension.
Meanwhile, a large number of TDP cadres assembled at Raghavendra Reddy's residence and planned to march towards Ramapuram. Police personnel from Mantralayam, Kosigi, Madhavaram, and other stations rushed to Ramapuram and Madhavaram to control the situation. Additional police forces have been deployed to prevent a potential face-off between cadres of the two parties.
