Andhra Pradesh LS polls phase 4: Voter turnout crosses 68 per cent

Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha polls phase 4: The state recorded a voter turnout of about 68.20%.

Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha polls phase 4: Polling for 175 Assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh was conducted today.

Polling underway for 25 Lok Sabha, 175 Assembly seats in Andhra Pradesh in single phase. (PTI)

The campaign leading up to the voting was intense. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, and other leaders gave passionate speeches.

YS Sharmila from Congress and Purandeswari from BJP are among those contesting for Lok Sabha seats.

The YSR Congress focused on the welfare programs they did in the last five years. The NDA talked about the state government's failures and promised help if they win. PM Modi, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, Mallikarjun Kharge, and Rahul Gandhi campaigned for their parties.

Voting commenced at 7 AM in the state. In total, there are 4.14 crore voters in the state—2.02 crore men, 2.1 crore women, 3,421 other voters, and 68,185 service electors. There are 454 candidates for Lok Sabha and 2,387 for Assembly polls, according to Andhra Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer MK Meena.

Top Updates:

• Andhra Pradesh recorded voter turnout of about 68 per cent.
• Andhra Pradesh Governor S Abdul Nazeer and his wife Sameera Nazeer voted at a polling station in Vijayawada during the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on Monday morning. They cast their ballots at the Green Polling Station.
• YSRCP MLA and candidate for state assembly elections, A Sivakumar, assaulted a voter in Tenali, Guntur. The voter, waiting in line to cast his vote, objected when the MLA tried to skip ahead. In response, the MLA physically attacked the voter.
• Andhra Pradesh recorded 23.10 per cent voter turnout till 11am.
• A clash was reported between YSRCP and TDP party workers at Narasaraopet, Palnadu. Police fired rubber bullets to control the situation in the area. The workers were seen destroying cars that were parked at the side of the roads near the polling booth.
• BRS leader KT Rama Rao after casting his vote said, "Come out, vote and show that we are a responsible citizen...In democracy, when politics decides everything I think it is imperative that we understand and come out and exercise our franchise so that we can vote for the kind of govt we want. I hope you vote for progress, decisive policies and for the people who have a vision and not those who actually want division..."
• Commissioner of Police (CP) Ravi Shankar Ayyanar said to ANI, "Elections are being held here in Visakhapatnam city, more than 5000 personnel are deployed here. EVMs are working everywhere and voting is going on peacefully in all seven constituencies...We have made elaborate security arrangements, so I urge all voters to go and vote for the best person, best party...''
• Pawan Kalyan, the president of Jana Sena Party (JSP), and the party's candidate from Pithapuram Assembly constituency, cast his vote in Mangalagiri.
• YS Sharmila, the Andhra Pradesh Congress President and candidate for the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat, cast her vote at a polling booth in the constituency. She is in competition with TDP's Chadipiralla Bhupesh Subbarami Reddy and the incumbent MP from YSRCP, YS Avinash Reddy.
• Andhra Pradesh recorded 9.05 per cent voter turnout till 9am.
• Chandrababu Naidu's wife, Nara Bhuvaneswari, and TDP general secretary, Nara Lokesh, cast their vote in Guntur.
• Actor Allu Arjun and 'RRR' star NTR Jr and his family voted in Hyderabad on Monday morning. After voting, NTR Jr encouraged everyone to vote actively.
• Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu, along with their families, were among the first to cast their votes in Andhra Pradesh on Monday.
• Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X, “Urging the people of Andhra Pradesh, especially first time voters, to vote in record numbers in the Assembly Elections. May these polls further enhance our democratic spirit.”