Vijayawada, May 13 (UNI) Andhra Pradesh recorded 67.99 per cent polling till 5 PM on Monday even as violent incidents were reported from various parts of the state.
Violent incidents took place at Guntur, Palnadu, Kadapa and Chittoor districts during the polling and police fired into the air rubber bullets to disperse classing YSRCP and TDP activists in Macherla.
Clashes and stone pelting incidents were also reported from many areas in the state. YSRCP MLA candidate Annabattuni Shivakumar was objected to by a voter when he was going to the polling station to cast his vote without standing in the queue.
The irate Shivakumar slapped the voter. However, the voter also responded by slapping the MLA candidate.
The followers of Shivakumar attacked the voter and severely beaten him up in the polling stations itself.
The Election Commission took the incident seriously and the police registered a case against Shivakumar.
The ECI directed the officials to suspend the Sub-inspector who freed the arrested activists, involved in a clash in Punganur.In Narasaraopet in Palnadu district, some TDP activists hurled stones on the house of YCP MLA Gopireddy Srinivasa Reddy.
In retaliation, the YCP activists attacked the house of TDP candidate Chadalavada Aravinda Babu and pelted stones.
Later a clash took place between the YSRCP and TDP activists.Police resorted to lathicharge and later fired rubber bullets into the air to disperse clashing activists.
In Macherla, some activists barged into a polling station and vandalised the polling material. The frightened polling staff stopped the polling process and fled from the polling station.
Guntur range IGP Srikanth and district SP Bindumadhav rushed to the polling station and reviewed the situation.
TDP MLA candidate Julakanti Brahmananda Reddy’s vehicle was attacked by the YSRCP activists when he went to a polling station to observe the polling process.
The YSRCP activists pelted with stones on his car.
The Opposition Telugu Desam party complained to the ECI on the violence incidents that took place during the polling and complained against the police for their inaction and biased attitude.
The TDP in its complaint to the ECI alleged that over 120 violence incidents took place across the state in AP during the polling.
Former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu regretted that there was no security to even police.
On social media ‘X”, Naidu said: “The violence has gone to such an extent that there is no protection even to the police personnel. District SP's vehicle was also attacked in Tadipatri. TDP Tadipatri MLA candidate Ashmi Reddy was also attacked which reflected the violent politics of YSRCP. The rowdy gangs have been patronaged for five years by Jagan Mohan Reddy and the gangs today resorted to violence during polling. Their intention is to reduce the polling percentage by intimidating the voters. All voters should cast their vote without any fear.”
UNI DP KK