Srikakulam registers 72% voting

Srikakulam: Total72 per cent votes were polled in all eight Assembly constituencies in the district on Monday. Polling process went off peacefully, except for sporadic incidents. Long queue lines of voters were witnessed at several polling stations even after 6 pm due to technical snags in EVMs.

In those polling stations, polling continued till 7.20 pm. There are total of 18,92,457 voters in the district and of them, 16,523 voters, including service voters, cast their votes through postal ballot. Of the remaining 18,75,934 voters, 13,45,668 voters exercised their franchise. Of the total male voters of 9,29,859, 6,43,215 exercised their franchise, which accounts for 69.17 per cent. Total female voters are 9,45,945 and of them, 7,02,436 exercised their franchise (74.26%).

Highest percentage of voting is reported in Narasannapeta Assembly constituency with 77.81 and next place was occupied by the Etcherla with 77.47 percentage.

Amadalavalasa in third position with 75.48 per cent and Tekkali registered 75.07 per cent. In fifth place is Palasa with 70.84 per cent, sixth position is occupied by the Pathapatnam with 68.32 per cent voting. Itchapuram is in seventh position with 66.12 per cent voting and Srikakulam stood last with 65.30 per cent voting. Group clashes were reported at Gokarnapalli village in Ponduru mandal in which three persons were injured. With the incident, YSRCP Amadalavalasa candidate Tammineni Sitaram’s wife T Vani stayed in the village.

At Ippili village in Srikakulam mandal clashes took place between NDA and YSRCP supports when alliance candidate Gondu Sankar proceeded towards the village.

At Kuddiram village in Amadalavalasa mandal, group clash took place in which two persons were injured. YSRCP and TDP-JSP-BJP alliance supporters clashed at Kalingapatnam and Arangipeta villages in Gara mandal. They were dispersed by police.

First time voters, youth, old aged and differently-abled voters exercised their votes at different polling stations with democratic spirit. Officials failed to made proper arrangements like safe drinking water, tents, separate queue lines for male, female and old aged, differently-abled and pregnant women at number of polling stations.