Lok Sabha 2019: Andhra Witnesses Murder, EVM Vandalisation, Brawls Amidst Simultaneous Polls

Amidst all the usual flares, facing double the heat of simultaneous elections for the Assembly and Parliamentary constituencies of Andhra Pradesh, a Telugu Desam Party (TDP) worker, Chinta Bhaskar Reddy was hacked to death near a polling booth at Veerapuram in Tadipatri constituency of Anantapur district, reports The Hindu.

Among other developments across the state, TDP candidate for Sattenapalli Assembly constituency, Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, who also happens to be incumbent speaker of the Legislative Assembly, along with his gun man were allegedly man handled by YSR activists.

With the election frenzy mainly hovering around three parties – TDP which is seeking re-election, YSR Congress which is a strong contender and actor-turned-politician Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena, a new entrant – cases of violence and related issues are making more noise than the usual process of polling. Voting is underway for 175 Assembly seats and 25 Parliamentary seats in the state.

MLC Buddha Venkanna was taken into preventive custody in Vijayawada as he was staging protests against a few faulty EVMs.

In Gooty, a Jana Sena candidate, Madhusudhan Gupta is being arrested for breaking an EVM.

The death of a YSR worker is also being reported – further details awaited.