Sakhi Booth with ‘Chinnara Angala’

The Sakhi Booth in Government Higher Primary School, Bailoor Main in Karkala taluk differed from other Sakhi booths by setting up a ‘creche-like’ facility for voters.

The initiative to open ‘Chinnara Angala’ at Sakhi Booth by the district administration was praised as a wonderful initiative. The initiative also grabbed the attention of others.

Mothers who had come to exercise their franchise left their children at Chinnara Angala. At 11 am, the voter turnout in the polling station was 28%.

Two women managing the Chinnara Angala told DH that nearly 15-20 children had been engaged in simple games.

Sukeshini, who had left her child at Chinnara Angala, said it was a good arrangement particularly for mothers who can peacefully cast their vote well assured that their children were in safe hands.

The polling centre had its share of unusual voters including a 101-year-old Abbu Poojarthy. She was not able to walk and thus needed assistance to cast vote in the polling booth.

There was also an NRI voter Joy Prakash D’Souza who had arrived from middle east just to exercise his right.

Thanks to a health check-up facility, set up at the polling centre, voters were also seen discussing their health problems with the experts.

The Tribal Ethnic

The polling centre at Souda in Government Higher Primary School in Kundapur was decked up to reflect the culture and traditions of indigenous tribal culture. The polling booth had reported 48.50% polling at 1.30 pm. Among those who cast their votes included 49 ST voters, five from Marathi community and 44 from SC community.

PWD polling booth

The polling centre at Government Model Higher Primary School in Hanumathanagar in Udupi was completely manned by persons with disabilities (PWD).

The voter turnout at the polling booth stood at 68.67% at 3.30 pm. As many as seven persons with different disabilities were in-charge of the polling activities at the centre.

Dorothy Poojarthy, 95, came to the polling centre with the help of her grandson to cast her vote. She was rendered all help to cast her vote.

Eighteen-year-old Kavya was casting her vote for the first time in the polling booth. She said she was surprised by the cooperative attitude of the polling officials at the centre. Kavya said voting is a power given to every citizen in the democracy.

Bedridden

Jayasheela Poojary, who is bedridden for past three months due to an accident, arrived in an ambulance and voted lying down on the stretcher at the polling booth in Ulthuru in Kundapur.

ANF

ANF (anti-Naxal Force) DySP Ganesh Hegde said 15 polling stations in Karkala and Kundapur taluks were considered as areas vulnerable to Naxal attacks. He added that intense combing had taken place to preempt any ambush.

After the Bhoja Shetty murdered case, there were no instances of Maoists giving a call to boycott the polls.