Incidents of violence and clashes were reported from various parts of the country during the first phase of polling in 21 states for Lok Sabha elections. The incidents ranged from blasts, clashes to Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) being damaged.
In Andhra Pradesh, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader, S Bhaskar Reddy was hacked to death, while several other persons were injured after clashes broke out in the Tadipatri town. TDP workers alleged that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) workers killed Reddy.
Clashes also broke out between workers of TDP and YSRCP at a polling booth in Srinivasapuram village of Gurajala assembly constituency in Guntur district while polling was underway. YSRCP supporters alleged that TDP workers had forcefully stopped one of their supporters outside the polling booth when voting was underway. Later, clashes erupted and voting machines and other necessary polling material were damaged.
In another incident reported from Guntakal in Andhra Pradesh (AP), a Jana Sena Party candidate Madhusudan Gupta was arrested after he broke an EVM machine in Gooty because names and parliamentary constituencies were not being displayed properly.
Former Speaker and TDP leader Kodela Siva Prasad Rao was also attacked by YSRCP supporters in Yanamatla village, where he had gone during polling.
In Uttar Pradesh's Kairana, rounds were fired in the air after around two dozen people tried to barge into a polling booth in Rasulpur Gujran village of Kandhla town without identity cards. BSF officers initially tried to disperse the crowd using batons, but later fired rounds in the air. Polling at the booth halted for an hour due to this. Later on, heavy deployment was arranged in the area to take control of the situation. A case under appropriate sections has been registered. No arrests have been made so far.
In Maharastra's Gadchiroli, an IED blast occurred close to a polling booth, while polling was underway. However, no casualties were reported. The blast took place in the morning in Waghezari area, barely 200 metres away from the polling booth, where people were waiting in queues. In another incident, a party returning after polling was targeted through an IED blast. A District Police jawan was injured in the incident at Pursalgondi, Etapalli tehsil. Gadchiroli is among the seven seats where polling is underway during the first phase of LS elections in Maharashtra.
In Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla LS constituency, four persons were injured after supporters of the National Conference and Peoples Conference clashed at a polling station.
In Raipur, a Naxal was killed in an encounter with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur district as people voted in the Bastar constituency. The encounter took place in the restive Orchha area of the district when ultras attacked a team of security forces guarding a helipad.
MAHA’S GADCHIROLI TARGETED
In Maharastra’s Gadchiroli, an IED blast occurred close to a polling booth, while polling was underway. However, no casualties were reported. The blast took place in the morning in Waghezari area, barely 200 metres away from the polling booth, where people were waiting in queues
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