JOIN USDK registers 72.38 pc polling
Dakshina Kannada district registered a polling percentage of 72.38 in the Assembly polls on Sunday, with the polling percentage remaining almost static compared to the last Assembly elections. The district had registered 72 per cent polling in the Assembly elections in 2008.
Despite the district administration’s massive efforts to bring awareness about voting among the voters population under Systamatic Voters Education and Electoral Participation (SVEEP), as per the direction of the Election Commission, the efforts all went in vain as the district failed to register an increase in the voting percentage.
Puttur constituency comprising of remote villages recorded highest poll percentage of 80, while Mangalore South constituency registered the lowest poll percentage of 64, again proving the laid back attitude of the urban population when it comes to voting.
Puttur is followed by Bantwal constituency that rerecorded 78 per cent of polling, Belthangady with with 74.50 per cent, Mangalore with 73.60 percentage, Sullia with 72 per cent, Moodbidri with 70 per cent and Mangalore North with 67 per cen polling.
Polling peaceful
The election process was largely peaceful except for some technical glitches and confusions, across the district. The polling process which began in a slow pace, gained momentum after 11 am, as majority of the voters opted to vote in a relaxed mood as it was Sunday. There were no long queues in most of the polling stations as the voters arrived in dispersed numbers.
Confusions regarding voters slips which is introduced for the first time in the State Assembly elections, occurred in some places. Though the Election Commission had ordered the election officers to allow the voters without voters slips, but in possession of any of the 23 identity proofs, to cast their votes, the incidents of returning officers demanding the voters to compulsorily produce voters slips did occur.
However, in many cases the educated voters refuted the officers demand and cast their votes. Sector Officer for three booths in Karaya, four booths in Ilanthila and two booths in Bandaru in Belthangady constituency said that though polling percentage was considerably good in Karaya and Ilanthila, the voters turn out was quite low in two booths in Bandaru.
The two booths located in Kanchinadka, an interior village registered only 25 per cent of voting till afternoon.
Turn out in Kuthloor
The poll turn out in Maoists affected village Kuthloor was considerably good, going by the poll percentage recorded in the afternoon. Both the polling stations in DK ZP Higher Primary School Kuthloor had registered approximately 70 per cent polling at 2.30 pm. Despite the transportation problem, villagers cast their votes by spending on autorickshaws for travelling.
Speaking to reporters, Devamma (35) from Nellithadka, who resides within the Kuduremukh National Park range said her family had to spend Rs 500 on an autorickshaw to travel twice to the polling booth at Kuthloor which is seven kilo meters away from Nellithadka.
“Either we have to come by walk or we will have to depend on autorickshaws to travel. A bus comes to our village once in a week on which we are all dependent,” she said.
Though she expressed her unhappiness over the elected representatives as they are not responding to the demands of the poor, she said she exercised her franchise as she did not wish to let her right to vote go waste.
Vasanthi, a resident from Alambe within KNP limits, too said that she had to spend Rs 300 for exercising franchise. The voters from these interior villages said that the government did not provide them any vehicle facilities to transport them to the polling booths, as announced earlier.
Poll in Endo areas
Some of the Endosulfan victims too exercised their franchise on the polling day. The scenes of victims carried to the polling booths with the help of their family members were seen in the polling stations in Kokkada and Alankar. Endo victims Santhosh Menezes, Abhishek and Zubaida were found exercising their franchise at the polling booths.