Group clashes reported on polling day

Group clashes have been reported in Chinnayanapalya and Papaiah Garden during polling on Wednesday.

Police claim that only the Chinnayanapalya incident was between two political parties, while the incident in Papaiah Garden was a fight between two groups of BJP workers over personal rivalry and petty issues near the polling booth.

In Chinnayanapalya, around 1 pm, a political party worker visited the polling booth. After casting his vote around 3.15 pm, he alleged that there was a fault in the EVM and his vote had gone to some other candidate. So, he challenged it. The returning officer (RO) checked the details and found the vote was cast for the candidate he voted for. The RO has filed a complaint against the voter, police said.

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However, Kannada news channels telecast visuals of BJP and Congress workers fighting near the polling booth. Police said no one has filed a complaint regarding the assault yet.

Chinnayanapalya area belongs to the Chickpet assembly constituency.

In Papaiah Garden near Padmanabhanagar, two groups of BJP booth agents fought around 11.15 am. The group headed by worker Umesh and 15 others assaulted another group of the same party.

Umesh and others were seen chasing Channappa, Meenamma and others on the road with a wooden log and hitting them. Both Channappa and Meenamma have filed a complaint at the Chennammanakere Achukattu police station.

Not poll-related: DCP

P Krishnakant, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), said: "This is not a fight related to elections. Both the accused and the complainants are from the same party. They had a rivalry over petty issues and fought near the polling booth." Another officer said that both groups competed to call voters and issue slips.

The FIR was registered under various IPC sections, including assault.

Name deleted

In Hegganuru village near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district, a fight broke out between JD(S) and Congress workers. A JD(S) worker's name was deleted from the voters' list. He alleged that Congress workers were behind this.

It led to a clash between the two groups. Police cleared the crowd to ensure order. A case has been registered.