00:00This time, violence marring the urban local body election that have taken place in Andhra Pradesh over the weekend.
00:06And India Today journalists who are covering the voting were attacked by a group of people.
00:10The ruling TDP and opposition YSR Congress are trading charges over the attack.
00:16But with the TDP ruling the state, they clearly find themselves on the back foot here.
00:21Take a look at this report.
00:25India Today news crew attacked, a camera smashed and mobile phones snatched.
00:32An assault on the India Today team while covering local body posts in Andhra Pradesh's Puli Vendula has triggered a
00:38political confrontation.
00:45India Today's reporter, Abdul Bashir and video journalist, S. Vijay, were assaulted by unidentified men while reporting near a polling
00:54booth.
00:54Violence was reported at many polling centres, mainly in Palnadu and Anantapur districts.
01:00The ruling TDP accused the YSRCP of orchestrating the attack on journalists.
01:08When Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, he has ensured that every ward in Puli
01:14Vendula was unanimous.
01:16How was it unanimous in the last election?
01:19Today we are ensuring that elections happen.
01:23We are asking them to come.
01:26If you noticed it, in certain instances, we actually gave police protection for people who wanted to file nomination.
01:33If you look at it in Puli Vendula, they filed nomination. We didn't stop it. No one was stopped.
01:37The YSRCP rejected the charge, calling it a smear campaign.
01:42The opposition party shared footage of injured India Today journalist meeting its chief, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
01:49The YSRCP also accused the TDP of using violence to obstruct polling agents and voters.
01:57There has got to be a reform.
01:59The process of appointment of state election commissioners, the process of conducting the elections,
02:07with the state government missionary, especially the state police, all these need reforms.
02:15The process to not permit elections without CCTV live footage.
02:21The process not to conduct elections without the polling agents in place.
02:26The local body elections in Andhra Pradesh were marred by violence right from the beginning,
02:32with opposition party candidates allegedly blocked from filing nominations.
02:37Eventually, the Supreme Court had to step in.
02:39The Apex Court ordered the state election authorities to ensure adequate security.
02:46The attack on journalists has once again put the spotlight on the violence that struck the elections.
02:54With Abdul Bashir, Bureau Report, India Today.
