YSR Congress Party Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituency member J. Venkata Ranga Reddy was arrested on Sunday, hours before the conduct of the Prakasam district Zilla Parishad indirect elections to the posts of co-opted members, Chairperson and Vice-chairperson.
On a complaint from a school teacher Gunturi Rani, the Markapur police nabbed the ZPTC member at Santamagaluru near Addanki when he was coming from Hyderabad along with other YSRCP ZPTC members, for the trial of strength.
The ZPTC member was booked under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act for allegedly abusing the woman by her caste name following a land dispute with her at Darimadugu village on June 22, Markapur Rural SI M.Devakumar said.
Tension gripped Markapur town as YSRCP activists led by its MLA Janke Venkat Reddy staged a noisy protest against the timing of the arrest. “It's unfair to deny the YSRCP ZPTC member participation in the Zilla Parishad elections,” they said.
Condemning the arrest by the police allegedly under pressure from the ruling TDP, YSRCP District Convenor N.Balaji said the TDP had made the ZP elections a “farce”. “It is nothing but a mockery of democracy,” he added.
It was the YSRCP, which got a majority winning 31 of the 56 ZPTC seats. However, on the eve of the Special meeting held on July 5, three YSRCP ZPTC members switched over to the TDP. With this, both the parties are tied with 28 ZPTC seats each.
Security has been beefed up in the region and Section 144 is imposed in and around ZPTC meeting hall.
