Mangaluru, May 29: Dakshina Kannada registered over 74 per cent polling in the gram panchayat elections held in the district on Friday, according to preliminary reports received here.
Polling was by and large peaceful. It would take some time to release the correct voting percentage, said sources in district administration.
As many as 7,619 candidates are in the fray in the coastal district for 3288 seats, among 3,399 seats of 227 gram panchayats in the districts. Of the candidates, 4,015 are men and 3,604 are women. As many as 109 candidates have already been elected unopposed.
No nominations were filed for two seats namely Mallur first ward (ST woman) and Mallur second ward (SC woman) in Mallur gram panchayat of Mangaluru taluk.
In two other seats elections were postponed due to technical reasons to May 31. In Bandharu village of Belthangady taluk polling was postponed due to the confusions in the symbols allotted to candidates. In Padu Perar village of Mangaluru taluk polling was cancelled as symbols were not printed on ballot papers.
The district saw brisk voting, particularly in Mangaluru taluk, and more so in places surrounding Ullal town since morning. Though it started to rain heavily by around 10 a.m., it did not dampen the spirit of voters.
The enthusiasm to exercise their franchise brought a bride-to-be to the polling booth in Kalladka village in Bantwal taluk before she entered wedlock, while a 90-year old woman came amid heavy rain in Naravi village in Belthangady village.
Sullia recorded the highest turnout, 77.94 per cent followed by Puttur, 75.43; Bantwal 73.4, Belthangady, 72.89 and Mangaluru 68.73.
Prominent among the contestants is Vittala Malekudiya, contesting Naravi panchayat in Belthangady taluk. He was arrested by the police on March 3, 2012, for his alleged links with the Maoists, and was subsequently charged with the same offence along with his father Linganna Malekudiya.
Udupi
A voter turnout of 71.65 per cent was recorded for the Gram Panchayat (GP) elections in Udupi district on Friday according to the final figures provided by the district administration here. The polling was by and large peaceful in the district.
The voter turnout in the three taluks were as follows: Udupi 70.55 per cent, Kundapur 71.19 per cent, and Karkala 74.93 per cent.
As many as 4,740 candidates are in the fray for 2,126 GP seats in the district.
K. Annamalai, Superintendent of Police, said that polling was peaceful in the district barring minor skirmishes in few places.
Polling began on a brisk note in the 54 naxal-affected polling stations of the district, where there was tight security. In fact by 11.30 a.m., over 50 per cent of the voters had exercised their franchise.
The voters braved the moderate rain in some parts of the district and stood in queues at the polling stations to cast their votes. Though there was a lull in voting in some areas in the afternoon where rainfall got heavy, the turnout picked up after the rain subsided.
Also Read: Voting for GP elections begins across DK, Udupi on peaceful note
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