The Hindu : Karnataka News : 54.8 p.c. polling recorded in first phase

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 21, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka

54.8 p.c. polling recorded in first phase

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, APRIL 20. Clashes in a good number of constituencies, police firing in the air and lathi-charges in some places, malfunctioning of electronic voting machines, and widespread complaints of names of voters missing from the electoral rolls marred the first phase of elections in the State today.

Despite the hard-selling campaign by the major political parties, the polling percentage was a moderate 54.8. The elections were held in 15 Lok Sabha and 120 Assembly constituencies.

The highest percentage of polling, 63, was in the Chickballapur Lok Sabha Constituency and the lowest, 45 each, in Bagalkot and Bijapur.

The percentage of polling in the other Lok Sabha constituencies was: Bidar - 54, Gulbarga - 52, Raichur - 55, Koppal - 60, Bellary and Davangere - 55 each, Chitradurga - 59, Tumkur and Kolar - 60 each, Kanakapura - 55, and Bangalore North and Bangalore South - 52 each.

The voting percentage in the Chamarajpet Assembly Constituency in Bangalore from where the Chief Minister, S.M. Krishna, is contesting was over 65 and on the higher side.

Besides the names of voters missing from the electoral rolls, the heat spell in most of the constituencies which went to polls today was mentioned as a reason for the moderate percentage of polling.

In Bangalore, the names of the Kannada matinee idol, Rajkumar, and members of his family were stated to be missing from the electoral rolls.

Electronic voting machines (EVMs) failed in several polling booths all over the State. Although they were replaced, considerable time was lost.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Karnataka