The incident happened on Might 13, the date of polling in Andhra Pradesh.
Hyderabad:
In an unprecedented improvement, CCTV footage has emerged exhibiting an MLA from the ruling YSR Congress Get together in Andhra Pradesh choosing up a voter-verifiable paper audit path (VVPAT) machine and hurling it to the bottom at a polling station. The Election Fee mentioned the MLA vandalised digital voting machines (EVMs) in seven polling centres and the state police chief has been requested to take strict motion.
The police mentioned the MLA has been named as an accused whereas the opposition Telugu Desam Get together has claimed that the legislator and the YSRCP are indulging in such vandalism as a result of they’re fearing defeat.
The incident happened on Might 13, when all 25 of Andhra Pradesh’s Lok Sabha constituencies and all 175 Meeting seats went to the polls. Violence was reported on the day of the election in lots of areas and sporadic incidents have taken place after that as effectively.
Within the footage, YSRCP chief Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, who’s the sitting MLA from the Macherla constituency and has gained from there no less than 3 times, will be seen strolling into the Palwai Gate polling centre, the place an election official will get as much as greet him. With out saying a phrase, the MLA walks into the enclosed space the place the EVM is stored, picks up the VVPAT and throws it with lots of pressure on the bottom.
A part comes off the machine and whilst somebody within the polling sales space prices one in all his aides and slaps him laborious earlier than heading to Mr Reddy and being held again, the MLA nonchalantly kicks what seems to be the management unit. He then appears to be warning the attacker earlier than strolling out.
An election official is then seen recording the VVPAT mendacity on the bottom.
Macherla comes underneath the Palnadu district, which has been the worst hit by violence on the day of the polling and after that.
Taking to X, TDP chief and occasion chief Chandrababu Naidu’s son, Nara Lokesh, wrote in Telugu, “YSRCP MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy vandalised the EVM on the Palwai Gate polling centre of Macharla Constituency. I demand that the Election Fee take strict motion in opposition to Mr Reddy, who has vandalised EVMs and attacked them due to a worry of defeat. Persons are going to provide the true verdict on YSRCP’s factional politics on June 4.”
The TDP is preventing the election in an alliance with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Get together and the BJP.
In a press release, the Election Fee (EC) mentioned Mr Reddy was recorded on digital camera vandalising EVMs in seven polling centres, “together with PS quantity 202”, within the Macherla Meeting constituency.
“Palnadu district election officers have handed over video footage of all such polling stations to the police to help within the investigation of the case associated to the vandalism incident. The EC is taking this matter very critically and has directed Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena to tell the director common of police to take strict motion in opposition to all these concerned in these incidents,” the assertion mentioned.
Stating that the police have named the MLA as an accused, it mentioned, “The EC hopes that nobody will dare to commit such misdeeds sooner or later.”
Misbehaviour Too?
On the identical day, a YSRCP MLA had slapped a voter, reportedly for objecting to the legislator leaping the queue at a polling sales space.
On Tuesday, the Election Fee additionally directed the Union Residence Ministry to retain 25 firms of central forces in Andhra Pradesh even after counting of votes on June 4 due to the election and post-poll violence within the state.