Mounesh Vishwakarma

Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, Dec 23: The elections held for 822 seats in 57 gram panchayats in the taluk on Tuesday were conducted in an orderly fashion. The total voter turnout was 78%. The ballot boxes were kept safely in three strong rooms at Modankap Infant Jesus School after the elections. People in the villages arrived in large numbers since the morning to cast their votes. As the process was through ballot papers it was slow. There were long lines in some places. Though the process had to be over at 5 pm, it continued for some more time. Those who were in the line at 5 pm were allowed to vote even after 5 pm.

Party activists were seen persuading the voters to vote in favour of their party candidates. Chits were distributed to voters in booths set up on the way. Independent candidates were also seen persuading voters.

Mangaluru assistant commissioner Madan Mohan C, tahsildar Anitalaxmi, taluk panchayat CEO Rajanna and various sector officials went to booths and de-mustering centres and inspected the election processes. Police personnel also went to the booths to ensure smooth flow of the voting process.

ASHA workers conducted temperature checks of voters approaching towards the booths and provided sanitizers before allowing them into the polling booths. They also urged voters to wear masks. However, the temperatures were not checked in some polling booths.

Elderly persons and specially-abled arrived at the polling booths with help from their family. Youth who were casting their votes for the first time looked thrilled to exercise their rights.

The thumb on the left hand was to be marked with ink, however, the thumb, on the other hand, was marked at Nagri School booth unknowingly. But, once they were informed, they did the needful as required.

The control room was opened in Modankap Infant Jesus School to record details of voting in the entire taluk. The progress was updated every two hours and submitted to the district administration. The staff assigned, registered the progress on the computers as per the directions from the election commission.

A party supporter complained that an ASHA worker accompanies elderly voters at Bellur polling booth and votes on their behalf. Following which, she was removed from her duty and replaced by another person. The process continued without issue after that.