The Hindu : Karnataka News : 71 per cent polling in Chamarajanagar

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Apr 28, 2004

Karnataka

Karnataka - Others

71 per cent polling in Chamarajanagar

By Our Correspondent

CHAMARAJANAGAR, APRIL 27. Chama-rajanagar Lok Sabha Constituency recorded a voter turnout of 71 per cent. Polling was peaceful in the eight Assembly segments coming under the Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha (Reserved) Constituency, barring a few violent incidents in the Bannur Assembly Constituency. Of the eight Assembly segments, Bannur, T. Narasipur, and Nanjangud are in Mysore district.

Official sources told The Hindu that of the 11,89,792 voters in the district (7,61,345 in Chamarajanagar and 4,28,447 in Mysore), 8,48,694 had exercised their franchise. Of the 5,86,760 women voters, 4,04,932 turned up for voting while 4,43,762 of the 6,03,032 men voters exercised their franchise.

Incidents of villagers seizing and damaging electronic voting machines (EVMs) were reported from 12 twelve polling stations set up in various villages in the Bannur Assembly Constituency.

It is said that violence broke up at Kethupura when some villagers alleged that votes cast using the EVMs in two polling stations were recorded in the favour of a particular political party.

Peeved over missing names and malfunctioning of EVMs, violent mobs reportedly ransacked polling booths at Hunasagalli, Madigalli, Makanahalli, Bannur, B. Bettahalli, and Megalakoppalu.

According to reports, what added to the confusion were rumours that re-election would not be held at the places where the EVMs had been destroyed.

However, the Tahasildar, Noorulah Shariff, assured the villagers that re-election would be conducted, which, along with the timely arrival of additional police force, brought the situation under control.

It is said that re-polling will be held in all the polling stations on April 28.

The polling percentage recorded in different Assembly segments coming under the Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha Constituency is as follows: Gundlupet 77, Nanjangud 76, Hanur 72, Santhemaralli (Reserved) 72, Chamarajanagar 71, T. Narsipur (Reserved) 69, Kollegal 68, and Bannur 65.

Election boycott

The people of Hongalavadi in Chamarajanagar taluk boycotted elections on Monday to protest against the alleged failure of the Government to provide basic amenities in the village.

They said that despite making several pleas, the Government had not taken steps to ensure basic facilities such as electricity, drainage, roads, and drinking water facility in the village.

They demanded that the Government take steps to build a bridge across the Suvarnavathi and allow the villagers to fence their fields to ward off wild animals.

The villagers even alleged that though they had warned the district administration that they would boycott the elections if their demands were not met, nobody had paid heed to them.

There are 236 voters in the village. Though the election officials tried to convince the villagers to participate in the polling, no one arrived at the polling station till evening, according to reports.

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