YSR Congress Party MLA vandalizes EVMs in seven polling centers
CCTV footage has emerged in which the ruling YSR Congress Party MLA in Andhra Pradesh picked up a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) machine and hurled it to the ground at a polling station.
In the footage, YSRCP leader Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, who is the sitting MLA from the Macherla constituency and has won from there at least three times, can be seen walking into the Palwai Gate polling center into the enclosed area where the EVM is kept, picks up the VVPAT and throws it with a lot of force on the ground.
A component comes off the machine and even as someone in the polling booth charges one of his aides and slaps him hard before heading to Reddy and being held back, the MLA nonchalantly kicks what appears to be the control unit. He then seems to be warning the attacker before walking out.
An election official is then seen recording the VVPAT lying on the ground.
The incident took place on May 13, when all 25 of Andhra Pradesh’s Lok Sabha constituencies and all 175 Assembly seats went to the polls.
The Election Commission said the MLA vandalized electronic voting machines (EVMs) in seven polling centers and the state police chief has been asked to take strict action.
The police said the MLA has been named as an accused while the opposition Telugu Desam Party has claimed that the legislator and the YSRCP are indulging in such vandalism because they are fearing defeat.
Taking to X, TDP leader and party chief Chandrababu Naidu’s son, Nara Lokesh, wrote in Telugu, “YSRCP MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy vandalized the EVM at the Palwai Gate polling center of Macharla Constituency. I demand that the Election Commission take strict action against Reddy, who has vandalized EVMs and attacked them because of a fear of defeat. People are going to give the real verdict on YSRCP’s factional politics on June 4.”
The TDP is fighting the election in an alliance with Pawan Kalyan‘s Jana Sena Party and the BJP.
In a statement, the Election Commission (EC) said Reddy was recorded on camera vandalizing EVMs in seven polling centers, “along with PS number 202“, in the Macherla Assembly constituency.
“Palnadu district election officials have handed over video footage of all such polling stations to the police to assist in the investigation of the case related to the vandalism incident. The EC is taking this matter very seriously and has directed Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena to inform the director general of police to take strict action against all those involved in these incidents,” the statement said.
Stating that the police have named the MLA as an accused, it said, “The EC hopes that no one will dare to commit such misdeeds in the future.”
On the same day, a YSRCP MLA had slapped a voter, reportedly for objecting to the legislator jumping the queue at a polling booth.
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Mere Bharat Mahan !!
Time to delete all rules & laws, just take everyone who plays with public property, his entire property including that of his family members to confiscated for a period of 50 years. Nothing will be returned till completion of 50 years. Then only family members can pressure such hooligans to fall in line.
Repeat offenders means, such confiscated property becomes national property & can be sold off i.e. the sold off money will go to Govt Treasury