Udupi-Chikmagalur constituency registers 73.94 pc polling

Karkala registers highest poll percentage of 78.99 pc while Chikmagalur registers lowest with 63.33 pc

The Udupi-Chikmagalur parliamentary constituency recorded 73.94  percentage of polling during the Lok Sabha polls held here on Thursday. The poling was peaceful without any untoward incidents reported anywhere in both the districts.

Kundapur assembly segment reported 76.31 per cent polling while Udupi recorded 76.81 per cent, Kaup reported 76.94 per cent, Karkala recorded 78.99 per cent, Sringeri reported 76.40 per cent, Mudigere reported 72.19 per cent, Chikmagalur reported 63.33 per cent and Tarikere assembly constituency recorded 70.56 percentage of polling respectively.

The constituency recorded 14.49 per cent polling with 2,01,299 voters casting their vote in the constituency at 9 am, 29.94 percent polling at 11 am was recorded with 4,15,375 voters exercising their ballot, 46.16 per cent polling was recorded at 1 pm with 6,39,115 voters casting their ballot, the constituency recorded 57.34 percentage of polling at 3 pm with 7,85,875 voters casting their votes and the constituency registered 69.19 percentage of polling at 5 pm with 9,56,458 voters casting their vote respectively.

The overall percentage of polling in naxal affected areas was high when compared to other areas in the constituency.The Higher Primary School in Nadpalu in Seethanadi, a naxal prone area coming under Karkala assembly segment recorded  41 per cent polling at 10.45 am.

Another polling booth in naxal affected area in Someshwara Pete registered 48.9 percentage of polling at 11 am. There were 593 voters in the polling booth. The polling booth at Shedimane coming under Kundapur assembly constituency recorded 40 per cent polling at 11.30 am. 

Polling peaceful

The overall polling was peaceful in the constituency. There were no untoward incidents reported in both the districts. Udupi SP Boralingaiah M B said that the situation was normal in all the five assembly segments. There were no untoward incidents reported in the district including naxal prone areas. Chikmagalur SP Chethan R said the polling was peaceful in the district including naxal prone areas. 

The polling stations in the naxal affected areas recorded highest percentage of polling in contrast to other areas, he added.

Bigwigs

The bigwigs who cast their votes in the constituency include Union Minister Oscar Fernandes (at Vivekananda School in Ajjarkadu), Urban Development Minister Vinay Kumar Sorake (at Girls PU College in Udupi), Udupi-Chikmagalur Congress Lok Sabha candidate Jayaprakash Hedge (at Koorgi in Kundapura), and Pejawar mutt seer Sri Vishweshatheertha Swamiji (at North School polling station in Olakadu) in Udupi-Chikmagalur Lok Sabha constituency.

Age no bar 

Radhu Poojarthy, who is 90 years old, with blurred vision and unable to walk came to the polling station in Puttur to cast her ballot. She said she is very much eager to cast her right and she has done it all through her life till date. She said she would continue doing. She was accompanied by her neighbour.

Ramakrishna Karanth, aged 84 accompanied by his grand daughter Swathi Karanth who is the first time voter from Sasthana had all to say that this will be his last voting. He is uncertain that he may not be alive till the next elections.

Technical snag 

Except for two EVMs, there were no other incidents reported in the district over the malfunctioning of EVMs. The EVM at Guddeangadi in Heeriyadka stopped functioning twice in the afternoon disrupting the polling process for half an hour. The other incident took place at polling station in Kumbashi, wherein the problem erupted in EVM and the polling was stopped for some time.

Dead still alive in voters’ list

In Puttur polling station, the names of nearly 5 to 6 people who are dead were found in the voters’ list. Besides the same polling station also had three to four voters slip for single voter.

BLO Shankar Shetty said they work restlessly for all 365 days in the year for being BLOs and are paid remuneration of mere 3,000 per year. He added they are the link between the voters and taluk office. The officials are informed over the mistakes in voters list, however the officials concerned ignore. “We are answerable to the voters,” he expressed grief.