Karnataka   

Polling peaceful in Chitradurga

Chitradurga: The Assembly elections in Chitradurga district were carried out peacefully owing to tight security arrangements in place. There were a few minor protests with regard to names missing from the electoral rolls.

The district registered a voter turnout of 59 per cent. There are six Assembly constituencies in the district. Chitradurga constituency registered the highest voter turnout of 65 per cent and Holalkere the lowest of 46 per cent.

Polling, which began at 7 a.m. here on Friday, was not very brisk, but picked up by the afternoon. Some parts of Holalkere witnessed a little over 13 per cent polling by 11.30 a.m.

Despite the hot weather, long queues of voters were seen outside polling stations. Personnel from the paramilitary forces were seen helping elderly people enter the booths.

At some places in the district, people complained that their names were missing from the voters’ list. Residents of Basavapura village in Holalkere taluk and Papenhalli village in Challakere taluk boycotted the polls for two hours alleging that the elected representatives had failed to provide them with basic amenities.

However, the election process resumed after Deputy Commissioner Amlan Aditya Biswas promised to look into their problems.

Voting was disrupted for an hour at Kavadigarahatti polling station in Chitradurga after supporters of the Janata Dal (Secular) and Bharatiya Janata Party accused the Returning Officer of being partial. They alleged that the official was asking voters to favour the Congress.

In Banagera village of Holalkere taluk, around 300 people refused to vote. They complained that their names had been included in the neighbouring Kwatehalli polling station instead of Banagera. Although election officials said they would arrange for them to be transported to Kwatehalli, they refused to accept the offer.

As many as 64 candidates are in the fray. Counting of votes will be held on May 25.

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

Stories in this Section

They voted despite suffering from excruciating joint pain and fever
Falls short of expectations
Problems and solutions…
Air India to start Goa-Dubai flight service from today
Polling peaceful in Uttara Kannada
Correction
Man dies in polling booth
Sitanadi village in mourning
Women’s day out
Polling peaceful in Chitradurga
Polling peaceful in Chikmagalur
Davangere records 60 per cent turnout
Property recovered

Copyright © 2008, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu