2 Party Workers Killed After TDP And YSR Congress Workers Clash In Andhra's Anantapur

Two people were killed near a polling booth in Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday after workers from Telugu Desam Party and YSR Congress workers clashed, reports said. 

The TDP worker, identified as Siddha Bhaskar Reddy, was hacked to death at Veerapuram in Anantapur’s Tadipatri constituency, The Hindu reported.

YSRCP’s worker Pulla Reddy was also killed in the clashes in which party workers pelted stones at each other, the Hindustan Times said.

Workers of both the parties have clashed at various places in Andhra Pradesh. 

The state is voting for its 175-seat assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the first phase of the elections today.

In Guntakal, former MLA and contesting candidate of Jana Sena Party, Madhusudan Gupta, smashed an EVM in a fit of rage alleging that party symbols were not properly printed on the ballot unit.

A mandal parishad member of YSRC was seriously injured when TDP workers allegedly attacked him at a polling station in Eluru city.

In Jammalamadugu in Kadapa district, tension prevailed in Ponnathota village as YSRC and TDP workers indulged in stone-throwing.

In Narsaraopet constituency in Guntur district, YSRC leaders alleged TDP men ransacked a polling station in Yelamanda village and damaged the furniture.

Police personnel were also preventing YSRC sympathisers from entering into the polling booth, they alleged.

State Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi, however, said polling was going on peacefully across the state.

In a statement, the CEO asked people not to believe in rumours as the poll process was going on peacefully.

He said the technical defects in EVMs, reported from various places, have been rectified.

This is the first general election in the state after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and creation of Telangana in June 2014.

As many as 2,118 and 319 candidates are in the fray for 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats respectively.

(With PTI inputs)