Voters' Whim Sealed in EVM:  Rural People Turn-out in Greater Number
 
News & Pics: Hemanath Padubidri
Daijiworld Media Network – Udupi/Kundapur (PS)
 
Udupi, Dec 31: A slow phase of voting gained its momentum as the people started to come out in large numbers for voting in the district, on Friday, December 31.
 
Rural people apparently understood the importance of democracy than people from cities as voting percentage was good from rural places.
 
A total of 74 candidates are contesting for 25 Zilla panchayath seats and 238 for 95 Taluk panchayath seats in 3 Taluks. People of Naxal infested areas were seen voting without any fear.
 
A total of 50% voting was recorded at 9.00 am in naxal affected areas like Hebri, Nadpalu, Kabbinale, Mutlupady, Muniyal, Andar, Varanga, Madamakki, Someshwar, Hallihole, Amasebail, Shankaranarayana, Thobattu, Hengavalli, Basriberu, Muddur and Jadkal among others.
 

Anti naxal squad, mobile squads, KSRP team, bomb detective vehicles and home guards deployed at the Naxal infested areas extended their full support to motivate the voters to cast their vote without any fear.
 
The Naxals did not dare to visit any of the villages and hence there was no call to boycott the election.
 
Some candidates could not cast their votes as they were transferred to some other places and had changed their constituency under reserve policy.
 
BJP Mahila Morcha district president Reshma Udaya Shetty, Zilla panchayath former vice-president Dr Santhosh Kumar Shetty, BJP candidate Geethanjali Suvarna in Padubidri constituency, Kalianpura Zilla panchayath constituency BJP candidate Shyamala Sudhakar, Congress candidate of Shiroor Zilla panchayath constituency Sharada D Bijoor, Taluk panchayath candidate in Senapur Raju Devadiga have missed their rights of voting.
 
Various leaders like Byndoor MLA K Laxminarayana, Kundapur MLA Halady Shreenivas Shetty, Karkala MLA Gopal Bhandary, Kaup MLA Lalaji R Mendon, Third finance commission president A G Kodgi, MLC K Prathapchandra Shetty, Kota Shreenivas Poojary, former MLAs K Gopal Poojary, Sunil Kumar, former ministers Vasanth Salian, Jayaprakash Hegde among others voted on Friday’s election.
 
Final reports stated that 66.16 % of votes have been recorded in Udupi district and around 70% in Karkala, 65% in Kundapur, 63.50 in Udupi taluk.
 
 
Highlights:
 
In some places party workers arranged alcohol and non- veg parties to woo officers who were on election duty.  Power shutdown also irked officers in Padubidri area. Vehicle  were arranged by party workers to bring the voters. EVM corrupts in Karkala Andaru booth.  Later alternative arrangement was done to continue voting.
 
Sadiyamma dies after cardiac arrest

A voter identified as Sadiyamma (60) who had come to vote at Bijady government high school booth in Kundapur taluk died after cardiac arrest.
 
Good percentage of voting was recorded in Basroor, Koni, Halliberu in Kundapur taluk amidst rumor of election boycott calls. It is also reported that voters were disturbed in Anagalli.