Amidst much drama, former MLA Balka Suman was arrested along with four others in connection with the violence during the Kyathanapalli village chairman election.
They were presented to the magistrate, who sent them to judicial custody for 14 days. There was tension during the arrest as Mr. Suman refused to cooperate.
When the police arrived to take him into custody, a large number of Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) activists gathered at the spot to defend the arrest. The police had to push the workers aside, leading to a scuffle. As Mr. Suman refused to cooperate, the police forcefully picked him up. He was taken to Srirampur police station.
The arrest followed a case registered on Tuesday in which Mr. Suman was accused of assaulting policemen and preventing them from discharging their duties during the elections. Videos also surfaced where Mr. Suman was seen throwing a traffic cone at Minister G. Vivek’s car when he came to vote ex-officio.
The arrest led to political reactions. Mr. Vivek alleged that Mr. Suman was indulging in “goondaism”, forgetting that he is a former MLA and former MP. BRS working president KT Rama Rao condemned the police action and alleged that the arrest was made without any intimation.
Mr. Rama Rao accused Minister Vivek of manipulating the election process of Kyathanapalli village chairman. BRS MLA T. Harish Rao also objected to the arrest, calling it undemocratic.
Published – 18 Feb 2026 21:40 IST