Stray violence in Bangalore Rural, Chikmagalur

By Our Special Correspondent

BANGALORE, JUNE 2. Barring stray incidents of violence and attempts to tamper with the ballot boxes in some polling booths, elections to the taluk and zilla panchayats in 16 districts on Friday was peaceful.

Repoll was ordered in two polling booths in Bangalore Rural District and another in Arehalli taluk of Shimoga District following violence and group clash near the booths.

A 28-year-old man was stabbed to death by three persons near a polling booth near Siddanahalli village in Hoskote taluk. The police, however, said it was not poll-related murder.

In the same taluk, a woman barged into a booth and poured a bottle of ink into a ballot box forcing the officials to cancel the polling process.

Police made a lathicharge on a group of party workers in Mudugere taluk in Chikmagalur District in which seven persons were hurt. About 100 persons were taken into custody following violent incidents which occurred mainly in Bangalore Rural and Chikmagalur districts. Polling in the other 14 districts was by and large peaceful.

According to the Office of the State Election Commission, the average polling in the 16 districts was 60.31 per cent and Kolar District recorded the highest of 70 per cent.

The percentage of polling for the taluk and zilla panchayats in other districts are: Bangalore Rural(62); Bangalore Urban(55); Hassan(63); Chamarajanagar(67); Kodagu(57); Belgaum(64); Dharwad(65); Gadag(65); Shimoga(60); Chikmagalur(63); Dakshina Kannada(61); Udupi(50); Uttara Kannada(53); Bidar(59) and Raichur(63).

In most places polling was dull in the morning but picked up towards the closing time. There was not much enthusiasm among the voters especially in villages as agricultural operations have already started.

Owing to heavy showers, polling was dull in the morning in Bangalore Rural, Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada and Udupi districts. It was only towards the evening, when there was a let up in the rains, that queues were seen near polling booths.

Chamarajanagara, which witnessed intense campaigning as it is the constituency of the Union Minister of State for Public Distribution, Mr. V. Srinivas Prasad, and Mr. M. V. Rajashekara Murthy, MP, recorded 55 per cent polling. Of the 21 seats in the district, the Samata Party is contesting in seven constituencies. Mr. Srinivas Prasad, was campaigning in the district for over a week.

Shimoga District recorded 60 per cent polling, and repoll was ordered in the booth near Bhogarakoppa in the Arehalli taluk due to defective ballot papers. Dakshina Kannada District recorded 61 per cent polling.

There was a clash between the BJP and Congress(I) workers near a booth in Mudugere taluk in Chikmagalur District following which police made a lathicharge in which seven persons, including the BJP taluk president, were hurt.

Polling was held up for sometime when a person walked into a booth and tore up a ballot paper in Aurad taluk in Bidar District. However, polling continued after the confusion was cleared by the officials and the police.

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