Andhra Pradesh split draws just 2.5 percent more voters in Seemandhra

Hyderabad: Barring clashes in a few places between supporters of the YSR Congress and the Telugu Desam, the second phase of polling in 13 districts of Seemandhra on Wednesday was largely peaceful.

The voter turnout was 78 per cent, 2.5 per cent more than in the 2009 general election, but the highest in the state’s history.
The highest voter turn-out was in Guntur district, 84 per cent and the lowest was in Nellore district at 75 per cent. Polling was brisk in the first few hours with the polling percentage touching 65 per cent by 3 pm.

Of the total 3.68 crore voters, 2.9 crore voters turned out to cast their vote. There was a heavy downpour in Vizianagaram district at around 5 pm and many voters left without casting their votes. The poll percentage here was 78 per cent.

Ten persons were injured in a clash between TD and YSRC activists in Prakasam district even as police fired two rounds in the air to quell the mob.

Results will be announced on May 16, but before that repolling will take place in polling stations where the polling was disrupted due to various reasons, said AP chief electoral officer Bhanwar Lal.

EC to announce re-polling date for some constituencies on Thursday

There will be a repoll in Palaka Jeedi polling station in Koyur mandal (a Maoist affected region) in the Paderu Assembly constituency, where two EVM units and a vehicle of the polling staff were set ablaze by five unidentified persons. The other polling station where the re-polling will be held will be announced by Thursday.

There were complaints of the rival supporters of the TD and the YSRC supporters clashing, and attacks on media persons and polling officers in Guntur and Kadapa districts, said Mr. Bhanwar Lal. Some 333 candidates contested from the parliamentary constituencies and 2,241, from the Assembly segments.

Polling took place from 7 am to 6 pm in 165 of the 175 Assembly constituencies. In eight Naxal-hit segments, polling was held from 7 am to 5 pm and in two others Araku and Paderu from 7 am to 4 pm.

Police seized Rs 3.74 crore in cash from Siddhartha College in Vijayawada, believed to be meant to influence voters. Countrywide Rs 283 crore of unaccounted cash has been seized till Wednesday evening, of which Rs 152 crore was seized from undivided AP. About 5.54 lakh litres of illicit liquor was seized during the poll period in the state.