High tension gripped Paidipalli village in Telangana's Jagtial district late on Wednesday night, as a dispute over the results of a gram panchayat election spiraled into violent clashes, forcing police to resort to a lathicharge and fire warning shots to control an aggressive mob.
Disputed Result Triggers Confrontation
The flashpoint was the declaration of the election result. The returning officer announced Gangula Manga, the candidate backed by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), as the winner. The declaration was immediately challenged by the rival candidate, Mamatha, who is supported by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Mamatha insisted on a recount of the votes, alleging irregularities.
This demand quickly escalated into a direct confrontation between the supporters of the two political camps near the vote counting centre. The verbal altercation soon turned physical, setting the stage for a major law and order situation.
Stone-Pelting and Police Action
The situation deteriorated rapidly when sections of the gathered crowd began pelting stones at party workers, police personnel, and election officials. With the mob turning increasingly aggressive and threatening the safety of individuals and election material, the police were compelled to act.
Initially, the police carried out a lathicharge to disperse the violent protesters. However, as the stone-pelting continued unabated, one armed policeman fired six rounds into the air as a warning to quell the violence. Jagtial Superintendent of Police Ashok stated that both actions were taken as a last resort to protect polling staff and secure the election material.
Aftermath and Ongoing Vigilance
The violent episode left four protesters and four policemen injured. All injured individuals were shifted to a nearby hospital for treatment. In the chaos, supporters of the losing candidate also damaged two police vehicles, including a patrol car and a bus.
In response, the district police have registered two criminal cases. One case is based on a formal complaint by the returning officer, while the other has been taken up suo motu (on its own motion) by the police. Videos capturing the police action, including personnel in riot gear and the moment an officer fired warning shots from inside the polling station gate, circulated widely on social media platforms.
To prevent any further unrest, police personnel remained deployed in Paidipalli village throughout the night. The heavy police presence aimed to ensure peace and deter any additional attempts to disrupt public order following the contentious election outcome.
