In Pulivendula, Chandrababu Naidu’s police machinery has crossed all limits, transforming a democratic by-election into a Red Book laboratory of intimidation, false cases, booth manipulation, and orchestrated violence. Over the past week, a calculated pattern has emerged, one that uses brute force on the ground, legal harassment through fabricated charges, and administrative engineering to tilt the field in favour of the ruling coalition.
The unfolding events have revealed a deliberate playbook: unleash TDP-backed mobs to attack opposition leaders, allow police to stand by or intervene late, then slap false SC/ST atrocity cases on the victims themselves. All the while, polling stations are quietly shifted to distant locations, inconveniencing voters and creating choke points for voter suppression.
The Pulivendula ZPTC by-election is no longer just a local contest. It has become a test case for how far a government will go when the Redbook takes precedence over the Constitution.
Timeline of Events
Date Event Details
August 5, 2025 First Attack at Wedding Hall Independent candidate Saidapuram Suresh Reddy was attacked near Srikhar Kalyanamandapam, Pulivendula, by TDP workers. No preventive action taken despite prior tensions.
August 6, 2025 Convoy Ambush near Nallagondavaripalli Around 150 TDP workers, led by Mareddy Bharath Reddy, Perla Shesha Reddy, and Akkulagari Vijay, armed with rods, hammers, stones, and petrol cans, attacked the YSRCP convoy. MLC Ramesh Yadav suffered a fractured right hand; Velpula Ramalinga Reddy sustained severe head injuries. Police were stationed 100 metres away but intervened late.
August 6, 2025 – Night Filing of False Cases Instead of arresting the attackers, police filed SC/ST atrocity cases against Velpula Ramalinga Reddy (named A1), Hemadri Reddy (A2), and 50 others.
August 8, 2025 Mass Arrests and Bind-Overs Police arrested 13 key YSRCP leaders from Pulivendula and placed hundreds under bind-over orders to keep them away on polling day.
Pre-Poll Week Booth Relocations Six major polling stations moved 2–4 km away from their original locations, impacting over 3,900 voters and creating logistical barriers for YSRCP strongholds.
Ongoing Intimidation of Media Journalists covering the election face threats; TDP leaders openly warn of vandalising Sakshi vehicles.
August 5: The First Blow
The chain of events began on August 5, 2025, at a wedding function in Pulivendula. Independent candidate Saidapuram Suresh Reddy, seen as a challenge to the TDP narrative, was attacked by TDP supporters near Srikhar Kalyanamandapam. The assault set the tone for what was to come, no preventive police action, no arrests, and no accountability.
By ignoring this first attack, the police signalled to TDP cadres that the field was open for escalation.
August 6: Convoy Under Siege
The following day, the violence intensified. A convoy of YSRCP leaders passing near Nallagondavaripalli was ambushed by 150 TDP workers. Armed with rods, hammers, stones, and petrol cans, the mob attempted to vandalise vehicles and set them on fire.
● MLC Ramesh Yadav sustained a fractured right hand.
● Senior leader Lingala Ramalinga Reddy suffered a severe head injury requiring multiple stitches.
What shocked the public was not just the scale of the attack but the inaction of the police. Officers were positioned 100 metres away but chose to intervene only after the violence peaked.
Instead of pursuing the attackers, the police weaponised the law against the victims.
From victims to accused
On the night of August 6, the very leaders who were assaulted found themselves branded as criminals. The police filed an SC/ST Atrocities case against Velpula Ramalinga Reddy (A1), Hemadri Reddy (A2), and another 50 YSRCP leaders and cadres.
This FIR, now public, reveals an attempt to criminalise opposition leadership during the election period, a tactic designed to tie them up in legal battles and prevent them from campaigning.
Booth Manipulation: The Silent Weapon
Beyond physical violence, administrative tools are being used to tilt the election. The relocation of six polling stations in Pulivendula Rural mandal has displaced over 3,900 voters, forcing them to travel 2–4 km to cast their votes.
PS No. Voters Original Location Shifted Location Distance Increase
6 1–834 Yerraballi MP Elementary School Nallapureddypalli ZPH School 2 km
7 835–1668 Yerraballi MP Elementary School Nallapureddypalli ZPH School 2 km
8 1669–2224 Nallagondavaripalli MP Elementary School Nallapureddypalli ZPH School 4 km
9 2225–2780 Nallapureddypalli ZPH School Yerraballi MP Elementary School 2 km
10 2781–3336 Nallapureddypalli ZPH School Yerraballi MP Elementary School 2 km
11 3337–3901 Nallapureddypalli ZPH School Nallagondavaripalli MP Elementary School 4 km
Such shifts, without compelling administrative reasons, are classic Red Book manoeuvres — create distance, slow down voter flow, and provide cover for obstruction.
A Direct Warning
YSRCP State General Secretary S.V. Satish Kumar Reddy has issued an unprecedented public warning about a plot to attack him.
“I have credible information from within TDP that Minister Lokesh and local TDP leader B.Tech Ravi are planning an attack on me. If anything happens to me, they are directly responsible. This is a sponsored conspiracy by the State Government itself. The local police are not neutral; they wear yellow scarves and serve the ruling party. I demand that a CBI inquiry be initiated suo motu into any incident involving me.”
Satish’s statement exposes not just the threat of physical harm but the collapse of institutional neutrality in Pulivendula.
Governance in Collapse
Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council, Botcha Satyanarayana, has tied the Pulivendula situation to the wider collapse of governance:
● Law and order is in free fall; even BC MLCs are attacked.
● TDP leaders work hand in glove with police to file false cases.
● Polling stations are shifted just before voting day — a deliberate sabotage of voter access.
● Murders, kidnappings, and atrocities against women are now daily occurrences under the coalition.
● Land grabs in Visakhapatnam are rampant, with even the Speaker writing to the government about them.
His message is clear: Pulivendula is not an isolated abuse; it is symptomatic of a statewide descent into lawlessness.
Media Intimidation
The attack plan extends to silencing media. Sakshi vehicles have been openly threatened with destruction. Journalists report being trailed, harassed, and warned against covering the Pulivendula by-election.
Pattern and Purpose
When viewed together, the sequence of events forms a single pattern:
- Trigger Violence – Start with targeted attacks on opposition gatherings (Aug 5).
- Escalate – Ambush leaders with large mobs (Aug 6).
- Criminalise Victims – File false SC/ST cases against the injured.
- Remove Leadership – Arrest and bind over key opposition figures before polling.
- Engineer Booths – Relocate polling stations to disadvantage strongholds.
- Suppress Media – Threaten journalists and vandalise press vehicles.
This is not mismanagement; it is deliberate election rigging by state machinery.
Conclusion
The Battle for Pulivendula is no longer about one ZPTC seat. It has become a defining moment for Andhra Pradesh’s democracy. If the Red Book model, where violence, false cases, booth shifts, and media intimidation replace debate, campaigning, and free voting is allowed to succeed here, it will spread everywhere.
As Satish Reddy warned, “If they can do this in Pulivendula, they can do it anywhere.” The question is no longer who will win the seat, but whether the people’s will can survive the State’s will.
