Faulty EVMs delay election proceedings in AP; polling goes late into the night

Polling was going on in over 300 booths late into Thursday night in different districts of Andhra Pradesh as faulty EVMs hampered voting in the day.

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 said.

Till 6.00 pm, over 74 per cent voting was recorded for 175 assembly and 25 LoK Sabha seats in the state

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 fulfil their obligation.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's son Nara Lokesh, who is contesting