Polls peaceful in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru; 75.8 per cent turnout

Udupi, Apr 18: The polling today was by and large peaceful in Udupi-Chikkamagaluru Lok Sabha constituency which saw a voter turnout of 75.8 per cent. 

The voter turnout in the eight Assembly segments of the parliamentary constituency were: Udupi – 78%; Kaup – 77%; Karkala – 78%; Kundapur 77%; Chikkamagaluru – 69%; Sringeri – 78%; Mudigere – 73%; and Tarikere – 72%.

Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, returning officer and Deputy Commissioner, said that the polling was peaceful and no untoward incidents were reported from anywhere in the constituency. Eight ballot units and control units of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and 53 VVPAT units developed snags and were immediately replaced, she said.

To beat the oppressive summer heat, most of the voters in the four Assembly segments of Udupi turned out in large numbers in the morning to exercise their franchise. As a result, there were long queues in front of the polling booths in the morning. In fact, 29.01% of the voters had voted by 11 a.m.

The district administration had made arrangements for wheelchairs and other facilities so that voters did not have any problems while voting. Citizens with health problems and the elderly were not made to stand in queue and were given priority to vote. At the Sakhi booths, supervised by women staff, adequate shade was arranged so that the voters did not have to stand in the sun.

These Sakhi booths also had children’s corners for mothers to leave their children to play while they went to cast their vote.

The Zilla Panchayat Higher Primary School booth in the naxalite-affected village of Someshwara recorded a turnout of 58% by 12.10 a.m., while the Government Higher Primary School polling booth in the naxalite-affected village of Kasanamakki recorded a voter turnout of 55.21% by noon. Both thee booths were guarded by personnel of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

Anti-Naxalite Force forces were constantly patrolling the booths coming under the naxalite-affected areas in the district. The ethnic booth at Sauda village recorded a voter turnout of 41% by 1 p.m.

Voting slowed down between 2 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. but it later picked up again after 4 p.m., when the intensity of the heat came down.