The Palnadu villages can be likened to Rayalaseema faction with murders, and other cases ever since the YSRCP assumed power in AP. During the last 20 months, five TDP leaders were murdered and 82 attacks have taken place. There is no limit to the cases against TDP leaders. There are allegations that there is no situation where the TDP leaders can roam around the Palnadu villages. The police personnel were acting on the behest of the YSRCP leaders, rued the Narasaraopet TDP president GV Anjaneyulu.
There are allegations that the YSRCP activists were on the rampage backed by YSRCP leaders. During 2019 after the YSRCP came into power, there were attacks on TDP leaders in Atmakur village in Palnadu. With this, the villagers began leaving the place and were given protection and shelter at the Guntur TDP office for a few days.
The ruling government came down heavily on TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu as he took up the Chalo Atmakur program to instil confidence among villagers so that they return back. However, the key TDP leaders are reluctant to return to the villages and are living in Guntur and Narasaraopet. They could not go to their native place during the festival time over fears of being attacked.
Meanwhile, the TDP Chief Chandrababu Naidu has expressed concerns that YSRCP leaders were creating anarchy in Palnadu by killing or assaulting the TDP leaders and also over the filing of non-bailable cases against them. YSRCP activists organized a huge bike rally in the Janga Maheswara Padu village on the occasion of New Year. They indiscriminately attacked TDP leader Kotayya, who was passing through. Kotayya who was seriously injured and rushed to Guntur Government Hospital for better treatment passed away after ten days. A post-mortem was performed and the report revealed that huge blows led to his death.
Police, however, have not registered any cases against the YSRCP leaders involved in the attack. Police registered non-bailable cases against 30 TDP workers who went to rescue Kotayya and sent them to jail. With this, the TDP leaders in Palnadu are in a state of panic.
The assassination of former Sarpanch and TDP senior leader Ankulu Pedagarlapadu in Dachepalli mandal in Palnadu has created a sensation. There have been factional clashes between TDP and YCP leaders in the village. When the YCP came to power, some TDP leaders left the village and settled in nearby Dachepalli. In that effort, Ankulu was constructing a house in Dachepalli. It is learnt that there were efforts to eliminate him. TDP National General Secretary Lokesh criticized the government for killing Ankulu by bringing him to Dachepalli. He said that Ankulu went to Dachepally in Pedagarlapadu because police personnel telephoned him asking him to come there. The factionists who were waiting for the opportunity killed him.
Police appear to have made progress in the murder case of a former sarpanch of Palnadu faction village Pedagarlapada. They gathered information that the Supari gang was used in the murder of Ankulu. A preliminary police investigation has revealed that Ankulu’s murder was planned with the supari of Rs 15 lakh. Police have already arrested six people in connection with the case and are investigating. Police are expected to bring key suspects in the Ankulu’s murder to court soon. However, there are criticisms that they are looking to leave key masterminds and sacrificing others.
