Vijayawada, Apr 11 : Chaos prevailed in Andhra Pradesh over the non-functioning of Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in various polling stations across the state during the voting to 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha Constituencies on Thursday while a party candidate staged a dharna and protested over the delay in polling.

Party Candidates expressed their anger over the way the polling was being conducted. Information received from various districts said that polling delayed for few hours due to non-functioning EVMs.

In the Mangalagiri constituency, where Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s Minister Son N Lokesh is contesting, the YSRCP candidate and sitting MLA A Rama Krishna Reddy staged a dharna in protest against the technical snags in EVMs. He squatted at a polling station in protest against the ‘indifferent’ attitude of polling officials.

Talking to media, Reddy said that he suspects a sabotage on non-functioning of EVMs in his constituency. He said that after he staged a sit-in dharna, he was told that EVMs started working. Many EVMs in various polling stations were not working causing delay the beginning pof olling, he said.

Mr.Reddy said that an official told him that there is only one technician to look after over 600 EVMs.

TDP MLC Budda Venkanna staged a dharna at a polling station in Mallikharjuna pet here protesting the technical snags in EVMs. He said that he suspects sabotage in the technical snags in EVMs.

The TDP leaders alleged that hundreds of EVMs were not working leading to inordinate delay for the polling to commence. A TDP delegation led by Varla Ramaiah met CEO Gopal Krishna Dwivedi and demanded re-polling in 157 polling stations, where the polling began delayed by few hours due to technical problem in EVMs.

The TDP leaders alleged that 30 per cent of EVMs in the state break down. Jansena President K Pawan Kalyan told media that he had got information that over 200 EVMs are not working.

Meanwhile, hundreds of voters, who waited in long queues, unmindful of scorching heat, returned without casting vote due to delay in beginning of polling due to EVM glitches.

The voters at Gollapudi, Mylavarm, Ibrahimpatnam, G Konduru and Velagaluru expressed anger over the officials for not arranging tents and at least shade for standing in queues. It is impossible for the women and elderly people to stand in queues for more than half-an-hour in the unbearable scorching heat, YSRCP leaders told media.

Mr Dwivedi in a release here on Thursday said that out of total 45,920 EVMs, technical snags developed in only 372 EVMs. The technical snags were rectified and all the EVMs functioning well and polling is going on smoothly, he added.

Kohima, Apr 11 (UNI) The polling in Nagaland for the lone seat for Lok Sabha and the bye-election for the Aonglenden Assembly Constituency going on smoothly, while the polling percentage was calculated at 11.00 AM at 41pc for the Parliamentary seat.

According to election office sources, the voters were in the queue since polling started at 07.00 AM this morning and as per report reach at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer at Kohima, an approximate 41pc votes were cast throughout the state. There was no untoward incident was reported from any part of the state so far.

For the bye-elections in Aonglenden Assembly Constituency under Mokokchung district, approximately 42pc votes were cast till 11.00 AM and polling was peaceful as per last report reaching in Kohima, sources said.

Guwahati, Apr 11 : Twenty-five per cent voter turnout has been recorded so far in Assam, where polling is being held for five constituencies in the first phase of the three-phase election in the state.

Tezpur constituency has recorded the highest turnout in the first four hours of polling at 28pc, while Kaliabor and Lakhimpur have recorded 22pc each and Jorhat and Dibrugarh 21pc each.

Reports of malfunction of EVMs at places have been received, but polling was progressing peacefully in most places.

ECI officials here said the final figures of malfunctioning or replacement of EVMs will be compiled and made available after the close of voting.

Officials have rushed to polling stations from where problems in EVMs have been received.

Long queues were seen in front of most of the polling stations even before voting started at 0700 hours, with clear weather encouraging voter turnout. Voting will end at 1600 hours in the state.

Among those who have already cast their vote is CM Sarbananda Sonowal, former CM Tarun Gogoi

of Congress, sitting Kaliabor MP Gaurav Gogoi of Congress, sitting Lakhimpur MP Pradan Baruah of BJP, former union minister and Dibrugarh Congress candidate Paban Singh Ghatowar and state minister and Jorhat BJP candidate Topon Kumar Gogoi.

Altogether 41 candidates, including two women, are in the fray for Lakhimpur, Tezpur, Kaliabor, Jorhat and Dibrugarh seats, spread in the eastern and northern parts of the state.

Polling is being conducted at 9574 polling stations, which include 201 all-women polling stations and 225 model polling stations.

Altogether 180 companies of security forces have been deployed, and minimum one constable attached to every polling station.

As many as 42126 polling personnel have been engaged for first phase poll and 614 micro observers appointed.

Total of 151 flying squads is keeping vigil, along with 137 static surveillance teams and 118 video surveillance teams.

The total elector strength is 7603458, of which 3737970 are female and 154 are of the third gender.

The BJP had won four of the seats in 2014 General Elections, while one was bagged by Congress.

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Panaji, Apr 11 : Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Wednesday assured people of the state to provide corruption-free government and follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s principle of ‘Na khaunga, na khane dunga’.
Addressing an election rally at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium at Taleigao, near the city, the Chief Minister said,”I am committed to provide corruption-free government in the state.”
The Chief Minister, who addressed the rally titled ‘Vijay Sankal Sabha’, remember former Chief Minister Late Manohar Parrikar and called him his ideal.
”Today’s meeting cannot start without remembering former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar, who is my ideal and architect of modern Goa. There was need to fulfill dreams of Bhai,” he said and sought support of the people.
He said unemployment was an important issue in the state and he was of the opinion that every Goan should get employment opportunity be it in government sector or private sector.
Government would make all efforts during the next three years to ensure that youth of the state got employment opportunities, he said.
The Chief Minister said he was also aware that majority of the people in his constituency were dependent on minister and claimed that it was only Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government which could solve mining issue in a legal way.
‘BJP government at the Centre and in the state are committed to find a solution to mining issue in a legal way,” he said.

Agra, Apr 11: As many as eight people died when their car dashed against a truck on Agra-Lucknow Expressway in Fatehabad area on Thursday.

According to the Police sources here, the car was coming from Lucknow when it hit the truck on the highway.

Six people died on the spot while two succumbed to their injuries on way to the hospital, they said.

The deceased were yet to be identified, they added.

Patna, Apr 11 : Amid fool proof security arrangements, polling began on peaceful note to decide fate of 44 candidates in four seats for first phase of Lok Sabha elections from 7 AM today which would continue till 6 PM barring some extremism-hit Assembly segments where polling would come to an end at 4 PM due to security reasons.
Sources of office of Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar said here that polling began on peaceful note in four seats for first phase of Lok Sabha elections from 7 AM which would continue till 6 PM while in some extremists hit assembly segments, polling would come to an end at 4 PM. An estimated 70.66 lakhs electorate would exercise their franchise to decide fates of 44 candidates. Polling is also on for by-elections in Nawada assembly constituency along with first phase of Lok Sabha elections in the state.
Four seats where polling is in progress for first phase of Lok Sabha elections are–Aurangabad, Gaya, Nawada and Jamui. In Aurangabad Lok Sabha constituency, polling in Aurangabad assembly segment would be held till 6 PM while in its rest assembly segments, polling would be held till 4 PM due to security reasons as the areas are extremists affected.
In Gaya Lok Sabha constituency, polling would be held till 6 PM in Gaya Town, Belaganj and Wazirganj assembly segments while in its rest assembly segments, polling would be held till 4 PM. In Nawada Lok Sabha seat, polling would be held till 6 PM in Nawada, Belaganj and Warisaliganj assembly segments while in rest assembly segments, polling would be held till 4 PM. In Jamui Lok Sabha seat, polling would be held till 6 PM in Sheikhpura assembly segment while in rest assembly segments, polling would be held till 4 PM due to security reasons.

Davanagere, Apr 10 : Stating that prime minister Narendra Modi had violated the election code of conduct by invoking the airstrike on Balakot by IAF in his election speech, KPCC President Dinesh Gundurao urged the Election Commission initiate immediate action.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Gundurao said Modi’s speech in Chitradurga in Karnataka on Tuesday, appealing to the new voters to dedicate their votes to ‘brave soldiers’ who made the country proud, was against the EC norms.
Maintaining that the Prime minister conduct of wooing the voters invoking the brevity of Indian Armed forces as a clear violation of election code of conduct, he urged the Election commission to look into the issue immediately.
”We have also planned to register a complaint with the Election Commission over the issue. With the call the prime minister has not spared Constitutional institutions from functioning independently, there is no guarantee to get justice under this BJP rule? he added.
Stating that Congress is the party which can ensure social justice in the country, the KPCC president pointed out that the BJP which claims a national party, had not accommodated not even a single minority candidate to contest in the Lok Sabha elections from Karnataka.
?Not only Minorities, the BJP had even denied ticket to people belonging to Backward Classes? he said.

Kalaburagi, Apr 10 : Senior Congress leader M Mallikarjuna Kharge today asked the people to choose whether they want Democracy or Autocracy in the General Election to Lok Sabha.
“If you chose for Democracy you may have to vote for Congress in this crucial election,” Kharge added while addressing an election rally at Afzalpur, 60 km from here, on Wednesday.
Kharge said that ?the current Lok Sabha elections was not between individual candidates, but it is a decisive battle between democratic and autocratic forces. The RSS-backed BJP and Narendra Modi want to wipe off Country’s Constitution written by Baba Sab Ambedkar. The Constitution aimed at protecting the Democracy in the country and equality in the Society and social justice to one and all. . Without Constitution, India has no future”
He said backed by the RSS, Modi is making serious attempts to replace democracy with dictatorship. ?If he returns to power, People belonging to Dalits, Bbackward classes, Minorities, Ttribals, working class and other oppressed and marginal communities will lose their rights under his tyrannical rule?.
Mr Kharge said that “the BJP and Modi are enjoying the fruits of Democracy which was built by veteran Congress leaders, some of who have sacrificed their lives.”
He said that ?in his public speeches, Modi frequently asks what was Congress contribution in the last 70 years. If Congress had not safeguarded the Constitution and democracy, he wouldn’t have become the Prime Minister. If Congress had not initiated the Green Revolution, people would have died of starvation. If Congress had not initiated the communication revolution, India would have lagged behind other countries in communication technology. Who built all the major Rreservoirs and expanded irrigation? It was because of Congress’ vision and efforts that India became a Space power today. The only thing Modi did was press a button and send the spacecraft to Mars while the entire ground for the mission was completed during the Congress rule,? he added.