Naidu’s kin, Minister held for violating code

District SP Tushar Aditya Tripathi rushed to the spot and ordered the arrest of the CM’s brother. However, the Information Minister intervened and assured the SP that TDP workers would not be allowed to indulge in such things.

Later, the minister, Ramamurthy Naidu and their followers were put under house arrest and a case was booked against the former MLA. Polling resumed at the booth after more than hour. The CM is understood to have chided the minister as well as his brother for their behaviour.

Speaking to newsmen in Chittoor town after the polling was over, Siva Prasad denied that he was kept under house arrest. "I stayed in the house of district TDP convenor Dora Babu as phone and fax were available there," he said. The minister alleged that the police deliberately spread the news that he was put under house arrest and contended that the police have no right to take such an action against him. He even accused them of not taking action against Congress workers who indulged in rigging.

Elsewhere in the state, police opened fire in the air at two places in Guntur and Prakasam districts. Hundreds were taken into custody on charges of impersonation in different municipalities while several others were held on Wednesday night as a preventive measure.

The polling, which started at 7 am, picked up as the day progresed and an estimated 59 per cent of the 87 lakh electorate exercised their franchise before it closed at 5 pm. Security was beefed up, particularly in the Telangana districts, in view of the killing of Panchayat Raj Minister A Madhava Reddy by Naxalites two days ago. However, no incident involving Naxalites was reported from any part of the state.

At Bapatla, armed Congress activists raided a polling booth. When Armed Reserve sub-inspector S Jaya Rao tried to challenge them, the miscreants overpowered him and made a vain bid to whisk him away. Sensing trouble, three constables, who were posted there, fired nine rounds into the air. While fleeing, the activists threw the SI in a mud pit. Polling resumed after additional forces reached the spot.

In Ongole, security guards of Congress MLA B Srinivasulu Reddy opened fire in air when a group of TDP activists stoned his car. Two more rounds were fired by a sub-inspector to disperse the violent mob. A TDP councillor candidate allegedly prevented some voters from entering the booth. This was objected to by the Congress leaders leading to tension.

Polling was peaceful in Dharmavaram, where Congress candidate for chairperson post, Pola Venkatnarayana, and several other councillor candidates withdrew from the fray following threats from TDP MLA Paritala Ravindra. Congress functionaries wre not seen anywhere in the town while ruling partymen virtually had a field day.

Tension prevailed for some time in Tadipatri when Ravindra reached there. He was asked to move out of the town by the police. In Nizamabad, police resorted to lathicharge to disperse warring groups. TDP and Congress workers were caned at several places and scores of activists belonging to both parties were arrested. Apprehending trouble, police even took some councillor contestants into custody.

In the neighbouring Rangareddy district, which has 11 municipalities, polling was incident free and 59 per cent voting was recorded. In Nandyal, polling was stopped in two centres after some persons poured ink in ballot boxes. Incidents of minor clashes were reported from a few places in the district.

According to an ENS report from Vijayawada, barring a few stray incidents of violence, polling for the Vijayawada Municipal Corporation was by and large peaceful. More than 200 workers of the CPI and TDP were held for indulging in rigging and impersonation.

At Darsipet in the town, police resorted to lathicharge on the followers of an Independent candidate. Three persons, including a handicapped, were injured. Soda bottles were hurled at a polling station in Suryaraopet by Congress and BJP workers. Congress nominee for the 29th division, Kunuku Rajasekhar, received head injuries when he was allegedly beaten up by CPI activists.

At Mandapet in East Godavari district, traffic was disrupted for over two hours as Bhuvanagiri Sriramachandramurty, an Independent candidate for the 15th ward, staged a rasta roko in protest against inaction by officials against impersonators. In Tadepalligudem, G Palleswara Rao, relative of a Congress candidate in ward No 21, died of heart-attack while he was engaged in a verbal duel with TDP workers.

An ENS report from Visakhapatnam said that polling in the three north coastal Andhra districts was peaceful, except for minor incidents. In Visakhapatnam city, a few incidents of proxy voting were reported. In II Town, 10 persons were caught while they were allegedly resorting to rigging.