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Indian Muslim voters check their names on lists to cast their vote at a polling station in Kurnool district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, on April 11, 2019. Image Credit: AFP

Hyderabad: Sporadic incidents of clashes, claiming at least two lives and rampant malfunctioning and technical glitches in Electronic Voting Machines marred the polling in Andhra Pradesh on Thursday.

Simultaneous polling in 25 Lok Sabha and 175 state assembly seats started in the morning on an enthusiastic note with men and women forming long queues outside polling Centre. But soon it gave way to disappointment and frustration at many places with the EVMs either failing or malfunctioning.

The problem was so rampant that the state Chief Electoral Officer Gopala Krishna Dwvivedi could not cast their votes in Tadepalli assembly constituency in Guntur.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who had gone to vote along with his wife, son and daughter-in-law complained that on pressing the button of TDP symbol, vote was going to the opposition YSR Congress. He also alleged that one third of the total EVMs had failed. But the CEO denied and clarified that EVMs had developed problems only at a few places and they were replaced in time. “381 EVM had developed technical problems and they were replaced”, he said adding that vote of party going to another was mere rumours. “don’t pay heed to such rumours”, he said.

In one incident Jana Sena party candidate from Gooty assembly constituency Madhusudhan Gupta was arrested by the police when he smashed an EVM in a polling booth.

As the day progressed reports of violent clashes poured in from several places including Anantapur district in Rayalaseema region and Naraspur in Guntur district. While a TDP and a YSR Congress worker were killed in Tadipatri constituency in Anantapur district and three others were injured in a clash between the workers of two parties, Speaker of the outgoing assembly Kodela Sivaprasad Rao was injured in an attack allegedly by the YSR Congress workers.

Those killed in clash in Meerapur village in Anantapur district include Sidda Bhaskara Reddy of TDP and Pulla Reddy of YSRCP. Three others were also seriously injured in attack with sharp edged weapons. The clash took place near the polling station and the authorities had to stop the polling in view of the violence.

Kodela Sivprasad Rao came under attack at a polling station at Yenumetla village in Sattenapallly assembly constituency. His security guards were also injured in stone pelting by the workers of YSR Congress. As a candidate Sivaprasad Rao had gone there to see the polling in progress. But the opposition workers alleged that he had tried to rig the elections by locking himself inside the polling booth creating trouble. But Sivaprasad Rao said it were YSRCP leaders who indulged in rigging and he tried to prevent them.

Sivaprasad Rao who was badly injured in the attack said, “There is a total law and order failure. It this happens to the Speaker of the assembly what would be the fate of an ordinary man”, he wondered.

Polling was also disrupted as clashing groups of TDP and YSR Congress went on a rampage in Ahobilam in Kurnool district forcing the police to resort to baton charge.

In another incident at Akepadu in Rajampet Lok Sabha constituency in Kadapa, a TDP polling agent was pushed out of a polling both and attacked allegedly by the YSRCP workers. The worker Anil was admitted to hospital.

In Guntur district sitting YSRCP MLA from Narsaraopeta G Srinivasa Reddy was injured in an alleged attack by TDP workers on his car. In West Godavari district a local YSR Congress leader Matta Raju was also injured in a clash with TDP workers in Eluru assembly constituency.

In Chittoor district a YSRCP polling agent was beaten up by TDP supporters while in Srikakulam supporters of Jana Sena Party and YSRCP clashed.

The failure of EVMs and delay in polling evoked an angry reaction from the voters as well as political leaders. In a letter to the CEO, the Chief Minister Naidu complained that 30% of EVMs were not functioning even three hours after the start of the polling.

However a senior leader of YSR Congress YV Subba Reddy rejected Naidu’s claim and said that this shows that Naidu was sensing imminent defeat. “He is pre-empting his defeat. He has lost hopes of winning the elections. That is why he is making such allegations”.

While TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu, his son and minister Nara Lokesh polled their vote in state capital Amaravati and film star turned politician Jana Sena Party president Pawan Kalyan exercised his franchise in Vijayawada.

YSR Congress president and party’s Chief Ministerial face YS Jaganmohan Reddy polled his vote in Pulivendula in Kadapa. Speaking after casting his vote Jagan expressed confidence that he will be forming the next government in the state. “people are looking for a change”, he told the media. “vote fearlessly”, he urged the people.

Film star and TDP MLA N Balakrishna caste his vote in Hindupur constituency of Anantapur.

Such was the excitement of the people to participate in the elections that an estimated 100,000 people working in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana travelled to their respective hometowns in Andhra Pradesh to exercise their democratic right. There was a massive rush of passengers at all the railway stations and bus stations in Hyderabad till late on Wednesday night. The flood of buses, cars and other vehicles going from Hyderabad towards Vijayawada also created a massive jam on the roads.

There were long queues of voters outside all the polling stations both in the urban and rural areas of Andhra Pradesh throughout the day.