Andhra parishad polls: SEC Punetha says voting is smooth as ballot boxes are thrown down in Marutla

Polling in Andhra Pradesh’s mandal and zilla parishad elections was proceeding smoothly, State Election Commissioner Anil Chandra Punetha said on Thursday after inspecting polling stations on the outskirts of Vijayawada, even as clashes, rigging charges and boycotts were reported from several districts.

Mr Punetha said all necessary arrangements had been made to prevent untoward incidents and appealed to eligible voters to turn out in large numbers before polling closes at 5 pm.

Clashes and boycotts

The worst trouble came from Marutla in Anantapur district, where YSRCP and TDP cadres clashed inside a booth and ballot boxes were thrown to the ground. In Kalasapadu in Kadapa, the YSRCP accused a woman TDP leader of trying to rig votes at the ZP Boys High School; Mydukur DSP Rajendra Prasad reached the village with a police team and brought the situation under control.

In Prakasam district, disputes broke out in Darsi, Chimakurthy, Tangutur and Tallur mandals. Villagers in Gonugunta announced a boycott, alleging YSRCP agents had been detained the previous night, and YSRCP leaders and booth agents walked out in Konijedu, where the party alleged about 150 bouncers had been brought from Ongole to keep its supporters away.

In Chandragiri, TDP leader Pulivarthi Sudha Reddy said she would shadow Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy wherever he went and urged the police to restrain the former YSRCP MLA. In Nandalur, district SP Nachiketh Vishwanath promised action against a constable accused of snatching a camera.

Byreddy Siddharth Reddy, the YSRCP youth wing president, questioned the legal basis for arresting the party’s booth agents in Nandikotkur.

The last statewide figure stood at 21.12% by 11 am. About 2.61 crore voters are electing 582 ZPTC and 7,767 MPTC members, guarded by 40,679 police. Any repoll will be on Friday and counting is on 7 November.