Hyderabad: Though there were no major disruptions in the last phase of polling in Seemandhra on Wednesday, there were minor clashes between Telugu Desam and YSRC activists and a more serious incident in Palaka Jeedi in Vishakapatnam on the Andhra-Odisha border where Maoists attacked a police station and snatched away electronic voting machines.
Villagers also attacked an additional SP and injured two constables in Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district and one man died after he was punched by a TD leader in East Godavari district.
Director General of Police B. Prasada Rao said that in Guntur district and in Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district, police had to fire a few rounds into the air to disperse aggressive crowds near the polling stations.
“At some places in Kadapa, Anantapur, Kurnool, Chittoor, Guntur, West Godavari and Visakhapatnam districts, there were complaints regarding assault on polling agents of TD or YSRC by supporters of one or the other party. Stone pelting incidents have been reported in Kadapa, Anantapur, Guntur, and Chittoor districts. Police intervened and dispersed the clashing mobs. Polling continued without disruption,” Mr Prasada Rao said.
In the Guntur incident, YSRC agents dragged a BJP polling agent out of the polling booth at 10.45 am at Ramireddy Palem in Rompicherla mandal. The mob outside became violent and police opened one round of fire into the air to get them to disperse.
At Devagudi village in Jammalamadugu, SP Rajesh Kumar, a commandant of the Third Battalion of the APSP who was on election duty was stopped by the brother of Adinarayana Reddy, the contesting candidate. Police officers present were obstructed by the YSRC supporters. The mob became violent and pelted stones at the ASP, Jammalamadugu, and other police personnel. To control the situation, CRPF personnel opened fire in the air.
YSRC man dies in TD leader’s attack
In a more serious incident, a YSRC supporter lost his life after being punched by a TD supporter. It happened in Inikondivaripeta village in Sitanagaram mandal in East Godavari district. YSRC supporter Merla Dasaradhudu, 74, had just cast his vote and was coming out of the polling station when he was accosted by a Telugu Desam leader, Mohan, who asked him who he had voted for. When Dasaradhudu said he had voted for the YSRC, Mohan allegedly hit him in the chest. The old man collapsed and died on the spot.
Mediapersons hurt in TD-YSRC clash
Mediapersons were injured in a clash between the YSRC and TD supporters in Nadavaluru village in R.C.Puram mandal in Chittoor district. Television reporters staged a dharna on the road demanding protection after they sustained injuries in the clashes between the rival parties.
2 persons succumb to heat at centres
Turning out to vote proved fatal for two senior citizens in Krishna district. Mohammed Fakeer, 65, was waiting in the queue to vote in his village Somavaram in Chatrai mandal, when he collapsed and died, apparently from a heat stroke.
Vissamsetti Panduranga Rao, 65 a retired RTC employee also died of alleged sunstroke and low blood pressure when waiting to vote near a polling station in Gudivada town.
10 people hurt in Suravaripalle
Ten persons were injured in a clash between the TD and the YSRC in Suravaripalle village in Yeddanapudi mandal of Prakasam district on Wednesday night.
