In spite of being their wedding day, several couples have exercised their franchise and participated in the democratic process in the district.

April 18 was supposed to be an auspicious day for the wedding. Hence, several marriages were held in the district.

At least five couples entered into wedlock at Uppinangady, Kadaba and nearby areas. At Nelyadi, a groom after tying the knot came to the polling booth to exercise his franchise.

Girish, a resident of Khandiga in Koila village, visited Sabalooru booth to exercise his franchise. Nishchitha of Karaya village in Belthangady and Bharathi of Karaya village exercised their franchise at polling booth number 222, before entering into wedlock.

Akshatha, Ashwini and Hemalatha cast their votes at Thannirupantha, before entering into married life. Ajith of Kaukradi, who tied the knot with Rashmi, visited Nelyadi School polling booth, to exercise his franchise. Shruthi, a resident of Aneyalaguthu, entered wedlock at Bantwal Bantara Bhavana. She exercised her franchise at Kudpalthadka polling booth in Karopady.

Sowmya cast her vote at Meginapete polling booth in Vittal before entering into wedlock. Groom Hithesh, a resident of Kabbinahithalu, voted at booth number 91 before leaving for the wedding hall.

Kavya voted at Ukkuda before leaving for kalyan mantap. Archana of Mogaveerapattana exercised her franchise at B M School in Ullal after her wedding. Mohan from Parpunja at Puttur taluk voted at Ekkada booth before leaving for his wedding. Bhavya of Orkomby voted at Perlampady. Navya of Mithooru too exercised her franchise at Mithooru School.

Couple Shwetha and Shirish Karkera visited polling booth to cast vote after they tied the knot at Surathkal. Bride hails from Kulai and bridegroom from Sashihitlu.

Latha, a resident of Kula in Idkidu, exercised her franchise at Kundadka Vishnunagara before leaving for the wedding hall. Kanakangi exercised her franchise at Kanakamajalu before her wedding.

Kavya Sanjeeva of Mugarodi voted at Sri Ramashrama School at Konchadi before her baby shower. Some patients too visited the polling booth to exercise their franchise in Mangaluru. An ill person with oxygen kit in a wheelchair arrived at Kodialbail polling booth to cast his vote.

Confusion in mock poll

Congress agents alleged that there was a glitch in VVPAT after the mock poll showed only one candidate’s photo in the VVPAT. They alleged that EVM had been hacked by the BJP. As a result, the voters had to wait in queue for 40 minutes. Later, VVPAT was replaced to continue polling.

Due to charging issue in VVPAT at polling booth number 34 near Kallapu masjid, the polling was delayed by half-an-hour.

The technical problem in Nellikatte School polling booth at Puttur delayed the commencement of polling by nearly 2 hours. Voters survey carried out by private agencies without permission was taken to task by the residents at Dharmanagara Government School polling booth at Ullal.

Delivers after vote

A woman delivered a girl baby, a few minutes after exercising her franchise, at Puttur. Meenakshi, wife of Yogananda, a resident of Urlandi in Puttur delivered the baby. She had developed labour pain on Thursday morning and was shifted to a hospital in Puttur. As she was adamant on casting her vote, she was taken to the polling booth at Taluk Panchayat in Puttur to exercise her franchise. She delivered soon after visiting the hospital.

Two polling officials at Bilinele Gopalakrishna High School in Sullia Assembly segment fell sick after they consumed food in which a lizard had fallen. They were shifted to Puttur Government Hospital. The officials are Rajendra, an employee of Bellare Gram Panchayat, and Home Guard P Jayaprakash Gowda.

Senior citizens

A 100-year-old Keshava Kudva voted at Ladyhill School booth; 90-year-old Damodar Nayak Kalyanpur, who lost his wife due to age-related illness on April 17, voted in Mangaluru.

Nayak had a critical head surgery last week. Even in grief of losing his wife, he motivated many to vote and also informed his children and grandchildren, who had attended the final rites of his wife, to go back to their respective voting constituency and vote.

A 110-year-old Narayana Poojary, a resident of Badagabellooru near Polali, visited the polling booth in the village to exercise his franchise.