Polling in five Lok Sabha constituencies spread across seven districts of Kalyana Karnataka region was, by and large, peaceful except for a few incidents.
Despite the extreme heat wave that swept most parts of the region, people enthusiastically went to the polling stations and exercised their franchise. The polling stations saw fewer voters during the mid-day hours owing to the extreme temperature that was hovering between 44 degrees Celsius and 46 degrees Celsius in most parts of the region.
Persons with disabilities and the old and the sick being assisted by volunteers or their relatives at the polling stations to cast their votes was a common scene across the region.
Volunteers and political activists serving water to people in need and assisting them in finding their names in the electoral rolls as well as their polling stations were also common.
First-time voters, political activists and women appeared to be more enthusiastic in casting their votes.
Polling staff developing health complications while discharging their duties have been reported from many places across the region due to the extreme temperature.
The ailing staff were immediately rushed to the nearest health facilities for further care.
However, 56-year-old Basavaraj, a Booth Level Officer at Jagir Jadaladinni village in Deodurg taluk of Raichur district, died on his way to hospital.
As per information provided by the Election Commission officers, Ballari recorded 68.93% turnout followed by Koppal with 65.9%, Kalaburagi 61.18%, Bidar 60.02% and Raichur with 58.9% by 5 p.m.
Technical glitches
Polling began as scheduled at 7 a.m. in almost all polling stations. It was delayed for some time in a few booths due to technical glitches in the voting machines. Polling was delayed by an hour and 10 minutes at polling station 146 of Ashtagi village in Kalaburagi district due to technical glitches in the EVM. Polling began after the problem was fixed.
An EVM at Polling Station 165 at Satanur village in Chittapur taluk of Kalaburagi district developed technical problems after 185 electors exercised their votes till 10.30 a.m. When a voter said that he did not hear the beep sound after he pressed the desired button on the machine, officials intervened and fixed the problem. Polling resumed at 11.38 a.m.
Similar technical glitches delayed polling by 20 minutes at Government Pre-University College in Hosapete under the Ballari Lok Sabha segment. Vijayanagara Superintendent of Police Shrihari Babu B.L. rushed to the polling station and took steps to fix it. Polling started by 7.20 a.m.
Returning Officers, Deputy Commissioners, Superintendents of Police and Chief Executive Officers of Zilla Panchayats paid visits to polling booths in their respective constituencies and addressed problems while giving guidance to the polling staff.
Tendered vote
A voter staged a protest against the polling staff at Polling Station 191 in Kalaburagi South Assembly Constituency established at Luqman College of Pharmacy in Kalaburagi. He contended that somebody cast his vote before he turned up at the polling station. He then reprimanded the polling staff as well as agents of the political parties sitting inside the booth.
His protest caused some disturbance to the voting process. He sat inside the polling booth in protest demanding that the Presiding Officer allow him to cast tendered vote.
