81.41% voter turnout recorded in undivided Anantapur
Hindupur sitting MLA N Balakrishna and his wife Vasundhara cast their vote at the polling booth in RTC Colony in Hindupur
Anantapur: Tension prevailed for some time during polling on Monday in Tadipatri, after TDP and YSRCP activists pelted stones against each other and smashing of glass panes of a car belonging to sitting MLA Kethireddy Peddareddy. Except this incident, polling in the undivided Anantapur district was peaceful.
A final polling percentage of 81.41% was registered after 6 pm as average polling percentage registered at 4 pm was 60.5% in Anantapur district. The highest percentage was registered in Singanamala with 80.31 per cent and the lowest of 64 per cent was recorded in Anantapur urban constituencies.
Heavy crowds and long ques of voters were seen at polling booths in the district from as early as 7 am and average polling percentage recorded in the district and in Anantapur MP constituency was 10%. By 1 pm, polling percentage in Sri Sathya Sai and Anantapur districts was nearly 40% and it was 54% by 3 pm.
District Collector and Election Returning Officer Dr Vinod Kumar and his spouse cast their vote at Government Girls High School in the town. He urged citizens not to be negligent in casting their vote and instructed polling officers to allow voters to enter polling station up to 6 pm and allow polling process to continue until the last voter standing in the queue casts his/her vote even after 6 pm.
Hindupur sitting MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna and his wife Vasundhara exercised their vote in the town. Calling upon people to vote fearlessly, he congratulated youth, particularly first-time voters for their active participation. In Tadipatri, sitting MLA and YSRCP candidate Kethireddy Peddareddy and Tadipatri Municipal Chairman JC Prabhakar Reddy along with his son and TDP candidate JC Asmith Reddy arrived at the polling booth at the same time. Argument that broke out between the leaders about who should enter the booth first escalated into a heated exchange, with the supporters of both the parties joining in. Despite police intervention, situation deteriorated, leading to a mob of people gathering outside polling booth and pelting stones at parked cars. Five vehicles were damaged, including the MLA’s vehicle. Senior police officials rushed to the scene and managed to pacify the clashing groups. A case was registered.