80% Voting In AP, But Marred By Violence, EVM Issues

While Andhra Pradesh, which went in for elections today for 25 MPs and 175 MLAs, saw a healthy 80% voter turnout, the State was marred by scattered violence and faulty EVMs.

Voting in Anantapur district got delayed at most places due to violence erupting at several places on Thursday.

Jana Sena Party candidate for the Guntakal constituency Madhusudan Gupta was arrested for breaking an EVM at Gooty in Singanamala (SC) constituency, and there were clashes between YSRCP and TDP followers in Jangampalli village of Yellanur mandal.

At Siddhapuram in Atmakur mandal of the Raptadu constituency, TDP workers attacked YSRCP mandal convener Bala Pothanna leading to bleeding injuries to the latter.

Actor-turned-politician and Jana Sena Party President Konidela Pawan Kalyan, when asked for his comment on the vandalism by Gupta, admitted it was a mistake. However, he said, he would not be able to comment without knowing the full details of the incident.

He also expressed his deep concern over the non-functioning of EVMs at various places in the State.

Earlier, Kalyan had exercised his franchise in a polling booth at Patamata in Vijayawada, and exuded confidence that the polling would be peaceful and pass off without any untoward incident.

At Yanametla village in the Sattenapalli Assembly constituency, YSRCP workers allegedly manhandled Assembly Speaker and TDP candidate Kodela Siva Prasad Rao. In the altercation, Rao had his shirt torn and received minor bruises. His gunman also suffered injuries. He then entered a polling booth and shut it from inside, and the police had to force it open and bring him out. He fainted but regained consciousness after some time.

In another incident, MLC Buddha Venkanna was taken into custody at Mallikarjunapeta in Vijayawada as he staged a protest against the disruption of polling caused by faulty EVMs.

The violence was enough to get CM Chandrababu Naidu to fault the EC and the police for "miserably" failing to stop the "chaos" by the YSRCP.