Karnataka - Bangalore   

Bangalore city witnesses a poor 44 per cent voter turnout

BANGALORE: Voter apathy in the 28 constituencies of Bangalore city marked the first phase of Assembly elections held in 89 constituencies of Karnataka on Saturday.

The voting percentage in Bangalore Urban was a poor 44 compared to Bangalore Rural that recorded 72.5 per cent.

State Chief Electoral Officer M.N. Vidyashankar said, “The turnout in Bangalore City has been historically low compared to other parts of the State. In a way, history has repeated.”

Reporters from The Hindu who visited many city constituencies found a relatively poor turnout of the well-heeled. In contrast, the less privileged sections were seen patiently waiting in long queues. The Election Commission has served notices on former Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy for trying to enter a polling booth in Ramanagaram along with a large group of supporters despite warning by the police. A notice has also been served on Sushil Kumar Shinde, Union Minister for Power, for promising a mega power project for the State at a press conference here on Saturday.

On large number of names reported missing in the voters’ list in almost all constituencies, Mr. Vidyashankar said both the voters and the Election Commission were to be blamed.

“It is a dual responsibility. We had advertised for three months asking voters to ensure that the names are in the electoral rolls. Despite this, a large number of eligible voters did not enrol their names,” he said. The final voters’ list was published on March 29.

As many as 53 electronic voting machines (EVMs) developed snags and polling was disrupted for a few hours in various booths. The highest number (19) of defective EVMs was reported in Tumkur district, and all the faulty machines were quickly replaced. Polling was not extended beyond the stipulated time in any of the booths.

Thirty people who attempted to cast bogus votes in Hebbal constituency in Bangalore city by showing fake identity cards have been arrested.

A State Government employee, Kumaraswamy, who acted as a polling agent of the Congress in Srinivaspura constituency in Kolar district, had been arrested.

Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) Shankar M. Bidari said that barring minor incidents, the polling passed off peacefully in all the 89 constituencies.

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