An impressive turnout of over 73% was recorded on Thursday in the single phase assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Andhra Pradesh amid stray violence involving the ruling TDP and YSRC cadres that reportedly left three people dead.
Incidents of EVM damage and stone pelting marked the high octane polling that saw a large number out of the over 3.97 crore eligible voters turning up braving the scorching summer heat.
Polling was held on Thurday simultaneously for 175 Assembly seats featuring 2,118 candidates and 25 Lok Sabha seats having 319 contestants.
Here are the live updates:
Nara Lokesh, IT minister and TDP National General Secretary, who created a buzz with his decision to contest the elections, is traling from his constituency, Mangalagiri.
Sitiing MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy of YSRCP is leading here with a margin of 9482 votes.
This, despite Mr. Lokesh's promises that the renowned handloom sarees of Mangalagiri would receive international recognition and despite laying foundation stone of IT giant HCL to strengthen the job sector.
Mr. Lokesh, son of CM Chandrababu Naidu, was formally inducted into the party in 2014.
Anantapur district registered 62.08% voting till 5 p.m. 116 EVMs malfunctioned and of them 50 had to be replaced, while the remaining were repaired. Voting was delayed between 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Polling percentage in the Assembly consituencies of Visakhapatnam district at 3pm was 45.79%. Chittoor district witnesses 57.6% polling, while Kadapa district witnesses 56.44% polling by 3 pm.
TDP worker hacked to death outside polling booth
Chinta Bhaskar Reddy, a Telugu Desam Party worker, was hacked to death near polling booth No.197 at Veerapuram in Tadipatri constituency of Anantapur district on April 11.
The clash followed an alleged attempt by some 15 TDP supporters to capture the booth.
District Election Officer G. Veerapandian said TDP and YSR Congress Party workers indulged in clashes somewhere in Veerapuram village, but ran into the polling station and chased each other. Outside the polling booth the TDP worker was beaten to death. Three YSR Congress Party supporters were injured.
Polling staff delete 125 votes on EVMs in Masula
The polling staff has reportedly deleted at least 125 votes that were polled on the Electronic Voting Machine after they have learnt that they did not clear the votes casted during the mock poll drive in Machilipatnam assembly segment.
On being learnt about the deletion of their votes, a few voters managed to turn up to the polling booth to poll again.
Polling is peaceful in Naxal-hit Odisha-Andhra border. Outside vehicles are thoroughly frisked before entering the constituency.
Since Odisha witnessed an IED blast in Wednesday night, EVMs were sent to the polling booths only on Thursday morning.
Telugu Desam Party worker Chinta Bhaskar Reddy hacked to death near polling booth No.197 at Veerapuram in Tadipatri constituency of Anantapur district.
At Yanametla village in Sattenapalli Assembly constituency, YSRCP workers allegedly manhandled Assembly Speaker and TDP candidate Kodela Sivaprasada Rao. In the resulting altercation, Mr. Rao had his shirt torn and had minor bruises. His gunman also suffered small injuries. He later entered a polling booth and shut it from inside. Police forced it open and brought him out. He fainted but regained consciousness after some time.
MLC Buddha Venkanna was taken into custody at Mallikarjunapeta in Vijayawada city as he staged a protest against the disruption of polling cause by faulty EVMs.
Large-scale malfunctioning of EVMs reported across Visakhapatnam
Polling for parliamentary constituencies and Assembly segments in Visakhapatnam district began on a peaceful note, with no untoward incident reported from anywhere in the district till around 11 a.m. on Thursday.
Brisk polling was seen at most places with voters forming long queues outside the polling stations right from 7 a.m. The common complaint was the malfunctioning of EVM s, resulting in delayed start of the poll process at some booths.
Jana Sena candidate arrested for damaging EVM
Jana Sena candidate Madhusudhan Gupta being arrested in Gooty for breaking an EVM, on Thursday.
Voting in Anantapur district got delayed at most of the places registering 10.62% by 9 am, violence raised it head at several places on Thursday.
While Guntakal Jana Sena Party candidate Madhusudan Gupta was arrested for breaking an EVM at Gooty, in Singanamala (SC) constituency there were clashes between YSR Congress and TDP followers in Jangampalli village of Yellanur mandal.
At Siddhapuram in Atmakur mandal of Raptadu constituency the TDP workers attacked YSRCP mandal convener Bala Pothanna leading to bleeding injuries.
Defective EVMs are a small problem, says CEO
Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gopal Krishna Dwivedi said the defective functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) was a small problem caused by faulty connections and it was being sorted out. He assured the voters that all those present in queues up to 6 p.m. would be allowed to cast their votes.
Mr. Dwivedi stated in a press release that polling was going on peacefully and without any major glitch. He predicted that voting percentage could be far higher than the previous time going by the impressive turnout in the first three hours.
Mr. Dwivedi himself had to wait for the replacement of a dysfunctional EVM at a polling booth at Tadepalli in Guntur district to cast his vote and stated that being machines, there would be minor issues with them.
Polling percentage was 9% at 9 a.m. in the State.
Naidu demands re-polling at locations where faulty EVMs marred voting
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu arrives to cast his vote at Undavalli, Guntur.
Expressing displeasure over the obstruction to voting across the State caused by defective Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu demanded that re-polling should be held at such locations.
He estimated that 30% of the EVMs were not functioning and called upon the Election Commission of India (ECI) to swing into action immediately, saying that the people were worried.
In a communication to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, Mr. Naidu stated three hours of polling time was wasted by faulty EVMs and there were complaints that votes cast for TDP were going to YSR Congress Party (YSRCP).
Workers of YSR Congress and TDP clashed in Yellanur during the polling. Police interfered to bring the situation under control, reports Ramesh Susarla.
Voting at a slow pace in Narsipatnam
Voting began on a slow pace in Narsipatnam, which is the constituency of Panchayat Raj Minister Ayyanna Patrudu. Many EVMs in Rolugunta, Narsipatnam town and Golugonda did not function in the first hour and many people returned without casting their votes.
Polling station locked in Kadapa
Two polling agents were taken into custody for allegedly offering money to voters at Vemavaram village in Ballikuruva mandal in Prakasam district.
In Kadapa district, YSRCP cadre ransack EVMs at 126th booth in a polling station in Jandlavaram village of Mydukur mandal. Police have dispersed the unruly mob, polling station has been temporarily locked.
TDP candidate attacked
Narsaraopet Assembly constituency TDP candidate Aravinda Babu attacked by YSRCP activists; police resort to lathi-charge to quell the clashing workers of TDP and YSRCP.
Over 100 EVMs malfunction in Prakasam
Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi faced trouble in casting vote at a polling booth at Christianpet in Tadepalli in Guntur district due to a dysfunctional EVM, he ultimately cast vote after the defective machine was replaced.
Over 100 EVMs malfunctioned as polling began in 3269 polling booths for Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Prakasam district. Officials replaced the faulty ones and resumed polling.
Women voters play major role in Vizianagaram
One of the youngest MLAs Pamula Pushpa Srivani cast her vote in Kurupam of Vizianagaram district. She is contesting again on YSRCP ticket.
Women voters will play key role in Vizianagaram district. They outnumber men in the district. There are 9,19, 654 women voters as against 8,98,331 men voters.
Their active participation in election is significant in Vizianagaram district.
Tension in Kadapa district
TDP MP C.M. Ramesh objects to the gathering of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) agents outside the polling station at his native Potladurthi village in Yerraguntla mandal of Kadapa district; A YSRCP agent then stopped the MP from going to cast his vote, leading to tension.
Meanwhile, Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi takes stock of the non-functioning of EVMs and VVPATs at several places; polling delayed by up to one hour at a large number of polling booths across the State.
Police also quelled clashing TDP and YSRCP activists at Ramarayudupalem village in Yalamanchili mandal of Visakhapatnam district.
EVM glitch reported in Kuppam
Several booths in Kuppam Assembly constituency reported EVM glitches. Kuppam is Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s constituency in Chittoor district.
At the 163rd booth in Kadapa city, it has been reported that the button representing the 'fan' symbol did not respond when pressed. Similarly, in the 106th booth in Mydukur, the cycle symbol was found unresponsive. Both the EVMs were changed immediately when the respective agents complained.
Ganta Srinivasa Rao casts his vote
HRD Minister Ganta Srinivas Rao arrives with his family at a polling station in a Visakhapatnam
Polling in some booths begins late
Glimpses from a voting booth in Vijayawada on April 11, 2019
Polling began 45 minutes late at Seventh Day Adventists school polling station in MVP Colony in Visakhapatnam East Assembly constituency as poll agents arrive late.
Mangalaiah, a senior citizen, said even after waiting for an hour voting had not started at booth No. 194 at Araku. Out of 8 EVMs, only 2 are functioning at Araku Government High School
Ashok Gajapathi Raju casts his vote
Former Union Minister and Vizianagaram TDP Lok Sabha candidateAshok Gajapathi Raju, and his daughter and Vizianagaram TDP Assembly candidate Aditi cast their votes in the first hour of polling.
The father-daughter duo expressed happiness over the arrangements in polling station. Vizianagaram administration anticipated over 80% polling.
A few booths face EVM failures
As voters line up at various polling booths in Anantapur distrcit, the EVMs in booth no. 153 in the Raptadu Assembly constituency fail to work. EVMs in polling booth no. 101 in the Visakhapatnam East constituency was also not working.
Meanwhile, voting at ITI college polling station no. 76 is delayed. The polling staff are unable to fix the EVMs. Voters become restless.
Two EVMs are not working in booth no. 183 in Visakhapatnam.
Voters complain of dysfunctional EVMs in some polling booths in Mangalagiri Assembly Constituency not working. IT Minister Nara Lokesh, son of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, is contesting for the first time from this constituency.
Jana Sena candidate Madhusudhan Gupta has reportedly broken an EVM at a polling station in Gutti (Anantapur district) expressing ire over not making proper display of Assembly and Lok Sabha voting compartments.
Though a large number of tribals gathered at Government Junior College at Araku Valley before 7 a.m., voting began late due to malfunctioning of EVMs. Two among 6 EVMs failed to function till 7.30 a.m., said micro observer D.S. Varma.
Voting begins at a moderate pace
Voting began at a moderate pace at most of the polling stations in Visakhapatnam North Assembly constituency. Though the polling has been scheduled to begin at 7 a.m., people — mostly senior citizens and morning walkers in their tracksuits and jogging shoes — were seen turning up at the booths from 6.30 a.m., even before the polling agents and poll officials could set up their things.
Rameswar, a senior citizen at the GVMC High School booth in Muralinagar said, “Today is a holiday, and all my children have come home, so I want to cast my franchise in the first hour and enjoy the day with my family. Today is a festive day.”
