Darsi’s municipal nomination process descended into clashes between Telugu Desam (TD) and YSRC supporters on Saturday, prompting police to use a lathi-charge near Clock Tower Centre and the municipality office to disperse the rival groups. The nomination process for the municipal chairperson and ward councillor posts was later completed under police supervision.
The trouble began when YSRC candidates, led by Darsi MLA and Prakasam district party president Boochepalli Siva Prasad Reddy, took out a rally to file their nominations. Police stopped the rally, citing the absence of permission, and instructed the candidates to enter the nomination centre individually.
YSRC leaders objected to the police action, alleging that their candidates were being prevented from filing nominations. Tension escalated after TD leaders and workers allegedly obstructed the YSRC candidates, leading to heated arguments, pushing and clashes between supporters of the two parties.
According to the report, rival groups also snatched and tore nomination papers during the confrontation. Police then resorted to a lathi-charge to disperse the crowds and restore order around the nomination centre.
The situation remained tense after MLA Boochepalli arrived at the scene and attempted to accompany a candidate into the nomination centre. Police maintained that only candidates would be allowed inside, restricting access to the facility as the nomination process continued.
The confrontation placed a local electoral procedure at the centre of a public-order response. Municipal nomination centres are required to manage the filing of candidature while ensuring that candidates, election staff and members of the public can access the process without disruption. In Darsi, police supervision was ultimately used to complete the filing process for the chairperson and ward councillor posts.
The supplied report does not provide details of arrests, injuries, complaints filed by either side or any decision on the validity of nomination papers that were allegedly torn. It also does not specify whether the police issued further restrictions around the municipality office after the process concluded.
The nomination process was completed under police supervision, according to the report. Further action by the police or election authorities, including any assessment of the confrontation or the status of the affected nomination papers, was not detailed.
