VVPAT snag delays polling in Gundlupet

Polling for the byelections to Gundlupet Assembly constituency had been by and large peaceful on Sunday. In a stray incident, police personnel resorted to caning to disperse crowds at a polling booth while technical glitches in the Voter Verified Paper Audited Trial (VVPAT) units in a few booths delayed the voting process.

Voting was delayed by an hour due to technical problems in the VVPAT units at Terakanambi, Terakanambihundi, Bheemanabeedu, Madahalli, Maleyuru, Kadaalamadahalli, Kodihalli and Kaggala villages. Voting was also delayed at Raghavapura village due to problems in the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).

VVPAT units at government higher primary school at Terakanambi village developed a technical snag half an hour after voting began. Officials tried another VVPAT unit but even that did not function causing an hour’s delay for voters to cast their votes.

2 injured in mild caning

A heated exchange of words between Congress and BJP workers of a particular community was reported from near the polling booth at Government Higher Primary School in Gundlupet town.

Police rushed to the spot and resorted to mild caning to disperse the crowd. Mubarak and Sadiq were injured in the incident. It also started raining forcing many to leave the booth and take shelter elsewhere. Later, a group of Congress workers burst crackers and shouted slogans against police personnel.

Candidates cast votes

While Congress candidate M C Mohanakumari cast her vote at Halahalli, BJP contestant C S Niranjan Kumar cast his vote at a booth in Chowdahalli. MP R Dhruvanarayan cast his vote at Heggavadi village.

Elderly woman dies

An 80 year-old woman identified as Devamma died after returning home from the polling booth at Hangala village in Gundlupet taluk. Devamma had not been keeping well and had turned weak. As per her wish, the family members carried her to the polling booth to enable her to vote for her favourite party. As soon as she returned home, she collapsed and died, family members said.