YSRCP MLA Smashes VVPAT Machine At Andhra Polling Booth
Amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha election, CCTV footage of an MLA from the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Andhra Pradesh smashing the VVPAT machine at a polling booth is going rounds on social media. The Election Commission said that the MLA vandalised electronic voting machines (EVMs) in seven polling booths and the state police chief has asked to take strict action.
The opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) has claimed that the legislator has indulged in vandalism as they are fearing defeat. This unprecedented incident took place on May 13. 25 Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha constituencies and 175 Assembly seats went on to polls on this day. Violence were reported in many of the polling booths.
In the purported video, YSRCP leader Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy, the sitting MLA from the Macherla constituency was seen walking into the Palwai Gate polling centre where an election official gets up to greet him. Without saying a word, the three-time MLA walks to the VVPAT machines and smashes it on the ground.
Following the incident, someone at the polling booth charges at one of his aides and slaps him harder before heading to Reddy, but he is held back. Mr Reddy walks out of the polling booth after warning the attacker.
Macherla comes under the Palnadu district which has been noted as the worst hit by violence on the polling day.
The Election Commission has said that the action of Mr Reddy was recorded on the camera in seven polling booths “along with PS number 202” in the Macherla Assembly constituency.
The Palnadu district officials have handed over the video footage of all such polling stations to the police to assist in the investigation.
Taking to X, TDP leader and party chief Chandrababu Naidu”s son, Nara Lokesh, wrote in Telugu, “YSRCP MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy vandalised the EVM at the Palwai Gate polling centre of Macharla Constituency. I demand that the Election Commission take strict action against Mr Reddy, who has vandalised 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.”
TDP is contesting the election in an alliance with Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party and the BJP.
