Incidents of clashes and lathicharges in LB elections

Hyderabad, July 02 (UNI) The polling for the second phase of local body elections covering eleven districts began with reports of clashes, police lathicharge and ballot box snatching.

In Srikakulam district in Chipurlapally village under Kotabommali mandal miscreants snatched ballot boxes and dropped them in a well.

Similiar incidents were also reported from Kondalarayani Palem in Guntur district.

In Guntur district, Police resorted to lathicharge in Vatticherukuru and Karlapalem mandals.

Five persons were injured in the lathicharge.

Incidents of lathicharge was reported from Narasarao Pet in the same district.

In Nizamabad, a police constable was injured when he tried to pacify clashing Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Telangana Rashtra Samathi (TRS) actvists.

Low polling was reported from the Visakahapatnam city due to heavy rains. In Guntur district police seized bombs from miscreants in Rompicharla mandal.

In Srikakulam district, villagers on the border of Orissa could not exercise their franchise as river Mahendra Tanaya was in spate.

Tension prevailed at two places in Chittoor district following a clash between two groups of political parties during polling in the local body elections.

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) sources alleged that Congress workers indulged in ''rigging'' at a polling booth in Kuppam Badur in Ramachandrapuram mandal.

They alleged that the Congress workers had beaten up TDP booth agent Lathamma when the TDP workers tried to resist the Congress workers from indulging in ''rigging''.

On information, police intervened and brought the situation under control.

In other incident at Nindri in Nagari assembly constituency poll ing got disrupted for some time as the TDP activists poured water in to the ballot box.

Thirteen per cent of votes were recorded at Chittoor district till 1000hrs, the official sources said.

At K V Puram in Kalahasti onstituency, naxalites belong to Kalingadalam pasted posters near the polling booths to register their protest against the elections.

UNI ASJ AJ VA BD1410