High tension in Kothagudem as an empty ballot box surfaces at Paloncha police station

Tension gripped Paloncha in Kothagudem after a ballot box from polling station number 151 was found at the local police station following polling. News of the incident drew cadres of BRS, CPI and other parties, along with senior leaders, who demanded an explanation from the police.

Kothagudem: High tension prevailed at Paloncha as a ballot box of polling station number 151 in the 47th division at old Paloncha in Kothagudem Municipal Corporation surfaced at Paloncha police station after polling was over.

With the news spreading in the town, hundreds of cadres of BRS, CPI and other parties arrived at the police station during late evening hours and demanded to know why the ballot box was brought to the police station.

The CPI state secretary, Kothagudem MLA Kunamneni Sambasiva Rao, the party district secretary Shaik Sabeer Pasha, BRS district president Rega Kantha Rao and other leaders also reached the police station.

The leaders entered into heated arguments with the police seeking a proper explanation over the presence of the ballot box at the police station. Paloncha DSP Sathish Kumar tried to convince the protesting leaders but in vain.

An election staff member, B Srinivas, who carried the ballot box to the police station, told protesting workers of political parties that he carried the ballot box to the police station as there was not enough space in the vehicle carrying the ballot boxes.

He later said that seven boxes were left behind as the vehicle which was supposed to take the ballot boxes to the strong room hurriedly left the polling station and he brought one empty box to Paloncha police station while the remaining ballot boxes were taken to the strong room by others.

As the protestors demanded to check what was inside the ballot box he opened and showed it to the protesting workers. There was no official statement on the issue from the concerned authorities.