All booths in Gulbarga Dakshin declared hypersensitive

Voting for bypolls today; Kadur City BJP chief assaulted, cash seized

The Election Commission has declared all the 212 polling booths in Gulbarga Dakshin Assembly constituency as “hypersensitive.” 

The decision has been taken in view of the high-voltage campaign by leaders of all the three major political parties. Several high-profile leaders of all the parties have hit the campaign trail in the constituency.

Superintendent of Police B A Padmanayan said here on Sunday that each polling station will be manned by five personnel. The Election Commission has turned down the request for deployment of paramilitary forces, he said.

A triangular contest has ensued among three time MLC   and BJP candidate Shashil Namoshi, Congress candidate Dr Ajay Singh and Aruna Patil Rewur of Janata Dal (S). The by election has been necessitated due to the demise of BJP MLA Chandrashekhar Patil Rewur.  Chandrashekhar Patil Rewur of BJP had won the seat by defeating his nearest Congress rival Basavaraj Bhimalli by a margin of 14,290 votes in 2008 polls.

Cash seized

Meanwhile, in Kadur workers of all the three parties traded charges of electoral malpractice.

Congress workers allegedly assaulted BJP City unit secretary Shivashankar alleging that the latter had been luring voters with money. Police seized Rs 18,130 from Shivashankar.  The BJP candidate Vishwanath lodged a complaint against Congress workers.

Congress contestant Kemparaju took out a procession to police station demanding action. The JD(S) workers staged a dharna in front of the taluk office alleging inaction on the part of election officers. They also alleged that the BJP had been attempting to purchase EPIC cards for Rs 1,000 in Nazirsab extension of the town.  However, Election Officer V M Suranagi said he was unaware of protests by anyone and the reason therefore. Party district president alleged that as many as 2,000 non-voters, all members of Sangh Parivar were camping at a farm house in Rangenahalli.

The byelection to Kadur constituency has been necessitated following the death of K M Krishnamurthy, the Congress legislator. The party has fielded his brother K M Kemparaju while Y S V Datta and Dr Vishwanath are the JD(S) and BJP candidates, respectively.

Datta tasted defeat at the hands of Krishnamurthy by a margin of 3,352 votes in the 2008 Assembly elections.

Deputy Commissioner Dr N S Channappa Gowda said 18 cases of violation of code of conduct have been registered.