News: Mohan Kuthar

Pics: Mohan Kuthar/Abhijith N Kolpe

Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru/Udupi (SP)

Mangaluru/Udupi, Dec 22: At the end of the first phase of gram panchayat elections held on Tuesday, December 22, Dakshina Kannada recorded an overall voter turnout of about 75 per cent and while Udupi recorded 74.06 per cent voter turnout.

The taluk-wise turnout percentage is as follows: Mangaluru 72.23%, Moodbidri 77.77%, and Bantwal 72.82% totalling to 75%, and Udupi 74.8%, Hebri 79.41% Brahmavar 73.69%, and Byndoor 71.28% totalling to 74.06%.

At 11 am, the voting turnout was as follows: Mangaluru 31.87%, Moodbidri 32.80%, and Bantwal 34.58% totalling to 33.93%, and Udupi 33%, Hebri 34% Brahmavar 33%, and Byndoor 28% totalling to 32.20%.  

At 9 am, the taluk-wise turnout percentage was as follows: Mangaluru 14.6%, Moodbidri 15.64%, and Bantwal 13.75% totalling to 14.48%, and Udupi 15.87%, Hebri 15.47%, Brahmavar 16.49% and Byndoor 11.49% totalling to 14.37%. 

K Ravindra Shetty Ulidottu, chairman, Nomads and semi nomads Development Board of Karnataka, exercised his right to vote at Harekala Rajagudde School. He stayed with party workers in his native place, and kept inspiring BJP supported candidates. Speaking on the occasion, he felt that the people, who have observed the development initiatives of both from the centre and states right up to the panchayat level, will elect the best candidates in the interests of their own future.

After casting his vote, Santosh Rai Boliyar sat in the booth and kept encouraging members supported by the party. He predicted that all the 12 gram panchayats in Mangaluru constituency will elect candidates supported by the party. He said that the people have clearly observed the difference in the functioning of the Congress legislators and the BJP legislators.

Former minister U T Khader, who voted along with wife, expressed the view that the people are frustrated with the maladministration of the state and central governments. He predicted outright victory for Congress supported candidates.

At the polling booth at the government higher primary school at Kuthar, the officials struggled as there was no power supply in the morning. They had to use mobile torches and candles to search names in the voters list. Mangaluru constituency BJP president, Chandras Pandith House took the matter with the Mescom officials and saw that power supply was resumed.

After a large number of voters gathered at the booth in Harekala Sri Ramakrishna School, as per the election commission instruction, the police wielded batons to disperse the crowd.

In the first phase of the gram panchayat election in the state, voting process began at 7 am on Tuesday in the gram panchayats situated within Mangaluru, Bantwal and Moodbidri taluk limits. As many as 106 gram panchayats in Dakshina Kannada district are facing polls. A total of 1,631 constituencies spread over 106 gram panchayats are facing the election.

Out of a total of 1,681 constituencies, 1,631 are going to polls as 50 have been elected unanimously. The fate of 3,845 candidates will be sealed in ballot boxes on Tuesday. Polling will continue till 5 pm.

Voters have been coming to the polling booths duly using sanitiser, wearing masks and maintaining social distance. ASHA workers have been allowing the voters into the booths after thermal scanning.

In the polling booth No. 246A located at the government high school at Talapady in district, 140 out of 829 voters cast their votes by 9.30 am. In the polling booth No. 247, 162 out of 754 had voted by then, recording 21 percent turnout.

Seeking support of the divine for his party in the panchayat election pertaining to Bantwal taluk, former minister B Ramanath Rai, went to Lord Vankataramana temple at Bantwal and offered special puja. Later, the minister cast his vote at the polling booth set up at Todambila school within Kallige gram panchayat.

Chairman of Mysore Electrical Industries Pvt Ltd and BJP Dakshina Kannada district vice president, Santosh Rai Boliyar exercised his franchise at Panela Barike school.

Former minister and MLA, U T Khader waited for his turn in the queue and cast his vote at the Boliyar Rantadka School.

The gram panchayat election is being held as per the high court order, even though the government was reluctant because of the coronavirus situation. Even though the election was expected to be a low key affair because of the fear of the pandemic, reports suggest that the people are displaying enthusiasm to take part in the election process.