Thaindian News

Hyderabad, April 26 (IANS) Re-polling was underway Sunday in 63 polling booths in Andhra Pradesh amid tight security after incidents of violence or technical errors during the second phase of voting held Thursday.
Polling began at 7 a.m. and will continue till 5 p.m. According to election authorities, about 30 percent voters cast their votes in the first four hours.

The Election Commission ordered re-poll at these booths due to violence, irregularities or technical errors in the electronic voting machines during the second and final phase of polling to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assembly Thursday.

Re-polling is being held in 21 booths in Kadapa, the native district of Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, 13 booths in Anantapur and eight in Kurnool. These three districts come under Rayalaseema region, notorious for political violence.

In Prakasam district, where two people were killed and several injured in election-related violence, re-poll will be held in 11 booths. These include two booths where polling agents were captured on closed circuit television cameras while casting votes with the voters. A case has been filed against the polling officers and agents.

The remaining booths where re-poll was ordered are in West Godavari, Guntur, Chittoor, East Godavari, Krishna and Nellore districts.

Election authorities have made elaborate security arrangements for the re-poll. They have installed closed circuit television cameras and deployed additional forces.

In the second phase of polling, 75.5 percent of 26.6 million voters cast their votes in 30,427 polling booths in 20 Lok Sabha and 150 assembly constituencies. The voter turnout in the first phase for 22 Lok Sabha and 154 assembly seats was 69.75 percent. The average voter turnout for both the phases was 72 percent.