During the Andhra Pradesh Assembly elections of 2024, an incident occurred involving MLA Annabathuni Sivakumar from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) and a voter. Allegedly, the voter objected when the legislator attempted to bypass the queue at a polling booth in Guntur district on Monday morning, amidst the concurrent voting for Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
In a widely circulated video on social media, Tenali’s YSRCP MLA can be observed approaching the voter and delivering a slap to the individual’s visage. However, the situation quickly escalates as the voter retaliates with a blow of their own, prompting the MLA’s associates to join in, unleashing a full-scale assault.
As the MLA’s aides continue their barrage against the voter, fellow voters awaiting their turn endeavor to intervene and halt the assault. Remarkably, no security personnel are discernible in the brief 10-second footage, leaving the voter without immediate assistance.
The precise sequence of events leading up to the altercation remains unclear. Nonetheless, the MLA’s physical altercation with the voter has elicited significant condemnation across various social media platforms.
This incident transpired amidst the voting for Andhra Pradesh’s 25 Lok Sabha seats and 175 Assembly seats, a critical juncture where the YSR Congress Party government under YS Jagan Mohan Reddy faces stiff opposition from an alliance comprising the BJP and the N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party.
In the 2019 elections, the YSRCP secured an overwhelming victory by capturing 151 out of 175 Assembly seats, subsequently forming the state government with YS Jagan Mohan Reddy assuming the role of Chief Minister.
