The allegations are baseless: CEO

The bypolls were necessary following the resignations of the Kadapa MP, Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy and his mother, Ms Vijayalakshmi, who quit from Pulivendula, after parting ways with the Congress and launching their own political outfit, the YSR Congress Party.

In Pulivendula, there was a fierce electoral battle for the legacy YSR for which his brother and former agriculture minister, Mr Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, also staked claim on behalf of the Congress.

The Chief Electoral Officer, Mr Bhanwar Lal, informed that polling in the Kadapa Assembly segment was 57 per cent, Badwel 80 per cent, Kamalapuram 63 per cent, Jammalamadugu 65 per cent, Proddutur 70 per cent and Mydukur 70 per cent. The poll percentage will marginally increase as there were many voters in queues even after the official end of polling at 5pm.

“Those in queues at 5 pm will be allowed to vote,” the CEO said.

He also dismissed allegations of bias and failure to prevent poll malpractices and appreciated the efforts of the local polling staff and police for ensuring smooth conduct of polls. “The allegations are baseless,” he said.

The election authorities decided to conduct repolling at the Bellamandi polling station in Kadapa where voters complained that their votes were polled to the wrong candidate. Though the EVM was changed, the authorities decided to conduct a repoll as 115 votes had already been cast.

According to the DGP, Mr K. Aravinda Rao, the police had to fire in the air at Siddagaripalli Village in the Pulivendula Assembly segment to disperse a mob when the Congress and the YSR Congress Party supporters clashed and threw stones at each other.

The health minister, Dr D.L. Ravindra Reddy, who took on Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy, was accused of destroying an OB van of Sakshi TV owned by Mr Jagan Mohan Reddy and attacking the staff of the media house.