A clash between two Telugu Desam groups over the filing of nomination papers for the Mandal Parishad President post turned violent in Nandalur in Andhra Pradesh’s YSR Kadapa district, with two cars damaged and burnt and a party leader allegedly firing five rounds into the air.
The confrontation occurred on Thursday as nominations for local body elections were being filed. The rival groups were led by Telugu Desam leaders Balasubramanyam and Eddula Sagar, whose supporters reportedly insisted that their respective candidates should submit the nomination for the MPP post.
The dispute escalated into a physical clash, with members of both groups attacking each other with stones and sticks, according to the report. Two cars were damaged and later burnt during the violence.
Balasubramanyam, described as a Telugu Desam spokesperson and the owner of a hospital in Tirupati, allegedly fired five rounds into the air as tensions intensified. The report does not state whether anyone was injured by the gunfire or whether a firearm was recovered.
Police reached the location after receiving information about the clash and brought members of both groups under control. They took Balasubramanyam and Sagar into custody. The report does not specify the sections invoked, whether formal cases had been registered or whether the two leaders had been arrested.
The incident has occurred during an active nomination process for local body elections, when candidates are required to submit their papers within the notified schedule. Disputes over who is authorised to represent a party can affect the filing process and the ability of candidates to enter the electoral contest.
The Nandalur clash also comes amid allegations by the YSR Congress that ruling Telugu Desam members have been intimidating opposition candidates and preventing them from filing nominations. Those allegations are referenced in the report but are not independently established in the supplied material.
The episode highlights how competition within local political organisations can spill into the administrative process for electing mandal-level representatives. In this case, the dispute was not between opposing parties alone but between two groups within the ruling Telugu Desam, both seeking to control the nomination process.
Police action following the violence and the status of any criminal investigation or election-related complaint will determine the next official steps in the Nandalur case.
