Udupi: 68.17% voter turnout in ZP,TP polls amid sporadic violence

February 21, 2016

Udupi, Feb 20 The coastal district of Udupi recorded 68.17 per cent voter turnout for the zilla and taluk panchayat elections on Saturday.

The polling was largely peaceful in the district barring a few incidents. The highest voter turnout, among the three taluks, was in Karkala, which recorded 72.75 per cent, while the lowest was in Kundapur taluk at 67.05 per cent, while the turnout in Udupi taluk was 67.09 per cent.

As many as 77 candidates are in the fray for 26 zilla panchayat seats in Udupi district, while 233 candidates are vying for 98 taluk panchayat seats of Udupi, Kundapur and Karkala.

The police had to resort to a mild lathi-charge to disperse Congress and BJP supporters at Ankadakatte in Kundapur taluk and Hiriyadka in Udupi taluk.

K. Annamalai, Superintendent of Police, said: “We had to resort to mild caning to disperse crowds outside polling stations in some places including Byndoor and Hiriyadka.”Snag

In some places, the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) developed snags. In some areas, they were rectified and in others, EVMs were replaced.

According to T.J. Guruprasad, Udupi tahsildar, EVMs were replaced at Katapady, Udyavar, and Ambalpady polling stations, while the snag in an EVM was rectified at Kote polling station.

Though calls were given to boycott polls in some places, like Mutlupady, Machattu, Shyamehaklu, Brahmavar and Abbedi, over problems including poor roads, title deeds and other facilities, the authorities and elected representatives managed to convince people to vote in most of these areas barring Mutlupady.

Polling started actively in some parts of the district, while it was dull in other parts, but it gained momentum as the day progressed.

At the Government Higher Primary School in Athrady, 195 out of 1,046 voters had cast their votes by 9.30 a.m., while 139 out of 681 voters had exercised their franchise at Government Junior College in Hiriyadka by 9.45 a.m.

As many as 360 out of 1,259 voters had voted at the Government Higher Primary School polling station at Bennampalli by 10.35 a.m.

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Major facelift for Mangaluru's sporting heart: Mangala Stadium set for 2-month closure to upgrade synthetic track

News Network

December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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