The helpline will be active for three days - May 8, 9 and 10. It will be active between 8 am and 9 pm on first two days, while on the third day, it will be active from 8 am till voting is completed.

Voters of Bangalore Urban must suffix 1 and those in Bangalore Rural district must suffix 2 to the six-digit number to call the helpline. However, residents of other districts need not to suffix any number.
Callers must give name and pincode of their area to get information via interactive voice response system (IVRS). The Commission has set up the helpline in association with the BSNL. As many as 15 lines have been provided for the helpline.
Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy will review poll preparations in Bellary on May 7 and in Mangalore on May 8. He will review preparations in Bellary, Raichur, Koppal, Davangere and Chitradurga districts at a meeting in Bellary. Preparations in Dakshina Kannada, Uttara Kannada, Udupi, Shimoga and Chikmagalur will be reviewed at a meeting in Mangalore.

Cops tow Reddy’s car

Former minister Ashwath Narayan Reddy and his supporters staged a protest inside Banaswadi police station in protest against seizure of his friend’s car on Sunday night.

According to sources, Reddy left his Varthur home in his friend’s car to take part in the BJP workers’ meeting. When he came out of the meeting, he was shocked to see the car being seized by the police. When he went to the police station, the police said they “presumed it (the car) belonged to him and the act amounted to election code violation, and seized it. They offered an apology and asked Reddy’s friend to take his car, sources said.

When Reddy and his friend went to the spot, they were shocked to see the car had been towed away by the police. On enquiry, the police said it had been done on instructions from the higher-ups.

Reddy, who is physically challenged, said he had left his crutches in the car and asked the police to return them. According to sources, Reddy was told to approach the police to get the car as well as cthe crutches.
Irked over this, Reddy went on a protest. The police declined to divulge anything in this matter.

Exodus to BJP in Mahadevpura

BJP got a shot in arm in the newly carved out Mahadevapura assembly constituency when some local Congress leaders, an independent candidate and several Muslims workers quit the party and joined the BJP on Sunday.
The former chief minister B S Yeddyurappa welcomed the Congress rebel candidate Gopal, who was in the fray as an independent candidate, and Bidarahalli hobli block Congress vice-president Vijay Kumar to the party at a public rally at Havanahalli in the afternoon. Both the leaders promised that they would work hard to ensure Limbavali’s victory.