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On May 13, during the polling for Andhra Pradesh's Lok Sabha and Assembly seats, an unprecedented incident occurred at the Palwai Gate polling centre in the Macherla constituency.
CCTV footage captured YSRCP MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy picking up and hurling a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machine to the ground.
The incident sparked outrage, with the Election Commission condemning the MLA's actions and directing the state police chief to take strict action.
The police named Reddy as an accused, while the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) alleged that the YSRCP was resorting to such vandalism due to fear of defeat.
The Election Commission also released a statement stating that Reddy was recorded vandalizing EVMs in seven polling centers and had ordered the director general of police to take strict action against all those involved.
The incident highlighted the issue of election-related violence in Andhra Pradesh, with sporadic incidents reported both before and after the polling day.
In a separate incident, a YSRCP MLA was accused of slapping a voter for objecting to his jumping the queue at a polling booth.
The Election Commission has directed the Union Home Ministry to retain central forces in Andhra Pradesh after the counting of votes on June 4 due to concerns over post-poll violence.
The MLA's actions and the subsequent response from the Election Commission underscore the importance of ensuring free and fair elections and holding those responsible for election-related violence accountable.
Source: On Camera, Andhra MLA Flings VVPAT To Ground In Polling Booth