Polling Agents Back Out

With the Kadapa and Pulivendula by-elections evolving into a war-like situation, no member of the Congress or the TDP is volunteering to be a polling agent in either constituency on May 8th.

Polling agents are appointed to ensure that no rigging takes place and that no fake votes are cast at the polling booths.

All the polling booths in both the constituencies have been classified as 'sensitive'. The major opposition parties - Congress and TDP - have expressed concern that Jagan's followers may create trouble on the day of the polls, and no member of either party is willing to serve as a polling agent.

This comes as a setback for the parties concerned, as the situation at present is such that the victory or defeat of the party depends upon the competence of their polling agents.

The supporters of Y S Vivekananda Reddy (the Congress' candidate for the Pulivendula Lok Sabha seat) have sought protection from the supporters of the YSR Congress Party.

If the complaints of the supporters of the Congress and the TDP are anything to go by, Jagan's supporters have been creating trouble in both Kadapa and Pulivendula.