Polling in the Penukonda Municipality has been brisk throughout the day and it ended peacefully by 5 p.m. recording a 82.63% voting.
A war of words between the Telugu Desam Party and the YSR Congress Party leaders gave the district police a tough time in controlling tempers and maintaining law and order in the town.
The voting in Ward 17 of the Anantapur Municipal Corporation, however, was very tardy with only 37.58% venturing out to vote in the lone ward where election was held till 5 p.m.
Meanwhile, a ‘Vote Marking Swastik’ block was found outside a polling booth in Penukonda, which again led to chaos, but the polling staff immediately took it into the booth and denied there was any discrepancy, except that some voter had surreptitiously taken it out and dropped it there.
Hindupur MP Gorantla Madhav toured some areas and was stopped by former Penukonda MLA and TDP Hindupur unit president B.K. Parthasarathy. He complained to the police about the MP’s alleged attempt to influence the voters while the polling was in progress at Ward No.17 polling station. The police immediately rushed to the spot and ensured that Mr. Madhav, a former circle inspector, was escorted out of the area.
Heightened tension was witnessed when both TDP and YSRCP leaders accused each other of influencing the voters in a wrong way and the police had to intervene to calm down the situation.
Anantapur TDP district president Kalava Srinivasulu questioned the presence of Chandragiri YSRCP MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy at Penukonda on the polling day and accused the ruling party of using money power and muscle power to influence the electorate. “The TDP is very strong in Penukonda, which has given the jitters to the YSRCP leadership which was using all possible dubious means to influence the voters,” Mr. Srinivaulu alleged.
Election Special Observer Harshvardhan along with Joint Collector A. Siri and Penukonda Sub-Collector Mallarapu Naveen went round the polling booths to ensure a smooth process.