59 p.c. vote in Bangalore Urban Dist.

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JULY 8. The election to the five local bodies in Bangalore Urban District, which were held on Sunday, went off peacefully barring two minor violent incidents in Byatarayanapura City Municipal Council limits.

Approximately, 59 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in the election to the local bodies in Bangalore Urban District, while in Nelamangala Town Panchayat the voter turnout was 67 per cent.

A high voter turnout was witnessed at all most all the polling stations during the election to the Byatarayanapura (55 per cent), Pattanagere (60.79 per cent), T.Dasarahalli (60 per cent) and Bommanahalli (55 per cent) city municipal councils and the Kengeri Town Municipal Council (63.33 per cent).

However, police had a tough job in controlling the supporters of the rival candidates who created unruly scenes in front of the polling stations accusing each other of proxy-voting and rigging the election.

Polling was suspended for some time at four polling centres, two each in Byatarayanapura and T.Dasarahalli, after certain irregularities were noticed in the voter's lists and the supporters of the rival candidates levelled charges of proxy- voting against each other.

According to the City Police Commissioner, Mr. T.Madiyal, polling was resumed after the matter was sorted out with the people concerned. Three persons were arrested on a charge of impersonation in Byatarayanapura, the Commissioner told The Hindu.

A group of people, said to be the supporters of four independent candidates, allegedly ransacked the house of a Congress worker at Kuvempunagar in Jalahalli East about 10.30 a.m. Utensils and furniture were damaged. Police have registered a case.

In another poll-related incident, miscreants set afire a van belonging to a Janata Dal (Secular) worker, Mr. Rajaram, at Sanjeevininagar in Hebbal Police limits in the early hours of Sunday. Hebbal Police have taken up a case.

Lathi-wielding police chased away the supporters of the candidates at ward nos. 10 and 15 in T.Dasarahalli when they tried to stop the polling process. Though it was said that a few ballot papers were snatched and torn by some miscreants at Ward No. 10, there was no official confirmation.

The BJP and the Janata Dal (United) workers almost came to blows near Polling Station No. 129 on Bellary Road in Byatarayanapura accusing one another of bogus voting. Police chased the supporters who had gathered in large numbers hindering smooth flow of traffic on the road.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Southern States
Previous : Elephants trample woman to death
Next     : Asian Digital Libraries meet in Bangalore