The Hindu : Polling brisk, peaceful in Humnabad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 27, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Polling brisk, peaceful in Humnabad

By Our Staff Correspondent

BIDAR Feb. 26 . Polling in the byelection for the Humnabad Assembly constituency passed off peacefully today.

According to the District Electoral Officer, K.S. Prabhakar, the voter turnout was 65 to 70 per cent.

However, there were skirmishes between the Congress and the Janata Dal (S) supporters towards the fag end of the polling and police lathicharged the rival groups. A constable and a former vice-president of the Humnabad Town Municipality, Suresh Seege, were injured in the incident.

According to eyewitnesses, the Congress and JD (S) workers went to the polling booth at Veerabhadreshwar College in Humnabad just a few minutes after polling concluded at 5 p.m. and demanded that they be allowed to cast their votes. They entered into an argument and clashed in the presence of the JD (S) candidate, Mirajuddin N.Patel and the Congress candidate, Rajashekar Patil.

Sensing trouble, police lathicharged the groups. The injured constable has been admitted to hospital.

Earlier, voting was brisk from the beginning. Long queues of men and women, including the aged, were seen in front of the booths. More than 10 per cent of the votes were cast within an hour of the commencement of polling in many booths in Bagdal and Bemalkhed.

As the electronic voting machines were used for the first time in the constituency, the voters had some difficulty in exercising their franchise.

Mr. Prabhakar said voting was stopped for about 45 minutes at Mandakanalli because of misconception about the voting machines among the voters. However, senior officers rushed to the place and set right matters.

In many places, apart from Mr. Humnabad, whose son is in the fray as the Congress candidate, some Ministers, including Qamarul Islam, H.M. Revanna, and A. Krishnappa were seen soliciting votes. For the BJP, apart from the State unit president, Basavaraj Patil Sedam, Jagadish Shettar, B.S. Yediyurappa, and other leaders went round seeking votes.

For the JD (S), the former Deputy Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, the former Ministers, H.C. Mahadevappa, S.K. Kantha, and H. Ekanthaiah, and the former MP, H.D. Kumaraswamy, solicited votes.

While the Bidar MP, Ramachandra Veerappa, Mr. Humnabad, Mr. Patil and Mr. Kalur exercised their franchise at Humnabad, Mr. Patel cast his vote in his native village Hochakanalli.

Counting will begin at 8 a.m. at the BVB College here on March 1.

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