The Hindu : Karnataka News : Stray incidents mar polling in Bangalore North

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

Karnataka

Karnataka

Stray incidents mar polling in Bangalore North

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, APRIL 20. Fifty-two per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in the Bangalore North Lok Sabha Constituency, elections for which were held today. Barring a few unruly incidents, the polling was by and large peaceful in the constituency.

Addressing presspersons here, the Bangalore Urban Deputy Commissioner, G.S. Narayanaswamy, said the highest percentage of voting was in Hoskote Assembly segment (70). The percentage of voting in other Assembly constituencies falling under the Bangalore North Lok Sabha Constituency was 40 in Shantingar, 49 in Shivajinagar, 45 each in Bharatinagar and Jayamahal, 48 in Yelahanka, 52 in Varthur, and 67 in Devanahalli.

Polling was disturbed at Doddikoliga and Nandagudi polling booths in Hoskote Assembly segment in the evening when an unruly mob rushed to polling stations and clashed with the officials. The mob damaged the electronic voting machines (EVMs) at the two booths.

The district administration would request the Election Commission to hold re-polling in the two booths. Re-polling would also be recommended at one of the polling booths (No. 324) in Uttarahalli constituency. An inquiry had been ordered into all incidents, Mr. Narayanaswamy said.

The polling could not commence on time owing to operational failure of the EVMs at 50 polling stations in the Banglaore North Lok Sabha Constituency. An unruly mob damaged the EVM and attempted to break other machines at Gullenahalli. Improper training of officials in operating the EVMs was also one of the reasons for delay in the commencement of voting, he said.

At Jadigenahalli in Hoskote taluk, Janata Dal (Secular) workers attacked the Staff Reporter and Staff Photographer of The Hindu, K.V. Subramanya and V. Sreenivasa Murthy, respectively. The Janata Dal (S) workers attacked them when the photographer was taking photographs. A group of 150 workers manhandled them.

In a number of polling booths, the voters complained about their names missing from the voters list. About 150 people at the Gujnurpalya polling booth in the Varthur Assembly segment did not find their names on the list and could not cast their votes. Nearly 20 per cent of the voters could not exercise their franchise at polling booths in Bellandur, Honasekuche, Nandagudi, and Bendiganahalli in the Bangalore North Lok Sabha Constituency.

Mr. Narayanaswamy said a large number of voters could not cast their votes owing to their names not being on the voters list in urban parts of the constituency. The voters had also failed to get their names included in the revised electoral list. In some polling booths, the political parties too had contributed to deletion of names of voters, he added.

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