Amaravati: In a history of sorts, polling went on late into Thursday night in over 300 booths at different districts of Andhra Pradesh. Faulty EVMs hampered voting in the day and though the scheduled polling time ended at 6.00 pm, voters in the queue waiting outside the booths were being allowed to exercise their franchise.

"Even if it is midnight, those in the queue by 6.00 pm can cast their votes," state Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi had stated.

In more than 380 booths, technical glitches in EVMs hampered polling during the days. As a result scores of voters returned home after a long wait. After the authorities rectified the defects and replaced some of the faulty EVMs, the poll process resumed.

The voters who reached respective polling stations before the scheduled close were being allowed to fulfill their obligation.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh, who is contesting the Mangalagiri Assembly seat, staged a protest at a polling station in Tadepalli town late Thursday night alleging lack of provision of basic facilities for the voters. Lokesh resorted to this drama to bring down the percentage of polling, YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders said.

The minister was jeered by opposition YSRCP workers who raised slogans asking Lokesh to "go back" and not disturb the poll process. Guntur Urban SP Vijaya Rao reached the spot and asked Lokesh to leave. The TDP leader, however, remained adamant and picked up an argument with the officials."I am a minister, remember. I have every right to be here," he said. However, the police asked him to not disturb the polling session and he had to leave the place. (With inputs from PTI)

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