76.51 pc turnout in C'magalur

Polls were peaceful; Birur registers highest polling of 81.37 pc

 Polls were peaceful in one CMC, three TMCs and four Town Panchayats in the district on Thursday.

Chilkmagalur district recorded a polling of 76.51 per cent. Chikmagalur CMC recorded 67.58 per cent, Kadur recorded 75.04 per cent, Birur 81.37 per cent, Tarikere 80.28 per cent and NR Pura Town Panchayat 80.26 per cent, Sringeri 77 per cent, Koppa 78.56 per cent and Mudigere Town Panchayat 72 per cent.

In TMC limits, in 35 wards 53,845 people cast their votes of which 26,883 were men and 26,962 were women. In Sringeri, 1162 men and 1202 women and a total of 2364 people cast their votes.

In the 35 wards of the CMC, citizens were enthusiastic to cast their votes and in some places there was poor response. Expect small incidents in some places, the polling took place peacefully.

As the poll booths opened at 7 am, many citizens were seen standing in a queue to cast their votes.

In some booths, party workers of the contesting candidates were standing at the poll venue, trying to influence voters to vote for their candidates. As campaigning was not allowed, they were making hand gestures indicating their party logos.

In some wards, the party workers themselves brought people to the venue and also dropped them home. In Heeremagalur polling booth, more than 30 per cent of people had voted by 10 am.

In Dantaramakki, Uppali, Market Road Urdu School Polling booth, the voters were proceeding to the booth with a lot of interest. People were seen coming in groups.
In some booths, there was confusion as people were not aware in which booth they were supposed to vote.

At polling booth near Belur road, two parties got into a spat as one of the party tried to influence voters with campaigning. MLA CT Ravi and his family voted in the Bhuvanendra school. MLC Gayathri Santhegowda voted in the polling booth near Beluru road.

Election officer A B Ibrahim, Deputy Commissioner V Yashwanth, Additional DC Honakeri visited various booths and inspected the polling.

SP N Sashikumar ensured that everything was as per law and no tension occurred.