KADAPA: A dispute over garbage collection in Kadapa Municipal Corporation (KMC) has intensified tensions between the YSRC and TDP. On Tuesday, TDP activists, led by Telugu Nadu Students Federation (TNSF) president Tirumalesh, dumped garbage in front of Kadapa Mayor K Suresh Babu’s residence.
The conflict erupted after residents and TDP members raised concerns with Kadapa MLA Reddeppagari Madhavi Reddy about uncollected garbage. In response, the MLA suggested that if garbage collection issues persisted, activists should dump garbage at the Mayor’s and local corporators’ homes. Acting on this, TDP workers gathered at the Mayor’s residence in Chinnachowk’s Manasa Kalyana Mandapam area and left garbage there.
The TDP accused the Mayor and KMC of neglecting sanitation, which they claimed had led to a rise in diseases. They alleged that despite collecting taxes, the corporation had reduced garbage collection vehicles and failed to address the problem effectively.
In response, YSRC workers and corporators arrived at the Mayor’s house, leading to a standoff. Police, led by Chinnachowk SIs Rajarajeswar Reddy and Ravi Kumar, intervened to prevent further escalation.
Following the incident, Mayor Suresh Babu and YSRC supporters protested in front of the Chinnachowk Police Station, demanding the arrest of the TDP leaders responsible. The Mayor condemned the TDP’s actions and expressed frustration over the incident.
While the YSRC governs KMC, the TDP has accused the civic body of poor sanitation management. MLA Madhavi Reddy criticized the Mayor for politicizing the issue and failing to provide effective leadership. The Mayor, however, rejected the TDP’s claims and defended the KMC’s garbage collection efforts.