Nandyal: The vandalism of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's statue at the busy Srinivasa Nagar Centre in Nandyal has snowballed into a major political controversy.

The incident has triggered a fierce war of words between the ruling coalition and the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). What began as an isolated act of property damage has rapidly evolved into a high-voltage political battle, with both political camps accusing each other of attempting to exploit the local incident for narrow political gains. The damaged statue has now become the focal point of a confrontation that is rapidly escalating across the district and dominating social media platforms.

Adding a sharp new twist to the ongoing controversy, YSRCP leaders strongly alleged that a coordinated campaign was launched by rivals to portray the accused, identified as Jammulaiah, as a party sympathizer. This was reportedly done by circulating old photographs of him standing next to YSRCP leaders. Rejecting these claims, the opposition argued that the images were taken during routine public events and festive gatherings where hundreds of ordinary citizens interact with political figures. According to YSRCP, selectively using such old photographs to establish political links was a deliberate attempt to mislead the public and divert attention from the real culprits.

In a swift counteroffensive, senior YSRCP leaders, including district president and former MLA Katasani Ram Bhupal Reddy, former MLA Shilpa Ravi Chandra Kishore Reddy, and MLC Isaq Basha, staged a massive protest at the vandalized statue before marching to the One Town Police Station to submit a formal complaint. During an emergency press conference, they released photographs and flex banners which they claimed showed Jammulaiah alongside Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena activists after the 2024 general elections.

The opposition party maintained that the accused had distanced himself from YSRCP before 2023 and later aligned with political forces associated with the ruling coalition, raising serious questions about attempts to falsely implicate YSRCP.

However, the ruling coalition dismissed these allegations as pure political drama orchestrated to gain unearned public sympathy and create unnecessary regional unrest. Coalition leaders insisted that the accused had longstanding, deep links with YSRCP and argued that the opposition was merely trying to portray itself as a victim ahead of upcoming political battles. As both sides continue to trade serious charges, the focus has shifted heavily to the ongoing police investigation, with growing demands from residents for an impartial, transparent probe. Amid mounting regional tensions and intense political rhetoric, the Nandyal statue vandalism case has transformed into a high-stakes showdown.