As many as 5,300 voters were treated to free servings of delightful benne dose, Mysore Pak, and refreshing watermelon juice on Wednesday, May 10 in Bengaluru. Additionally, more than 500 individuals enjoyed exclusive discounts on bakery items, while another 200 people benefited from reduced prices on amusement park tickets. These special privileges were granted to those who proudly displayed their inked fingers after participating in the assembly election.
Krishnaraj SP, the owner of Nisarga Grand Hotel, expressed his joy as he fulfilled his promise to serve free khali benne dose, juice, and Mysore pak to voters from 7 am to 6 pm. He said, “I am extremely delighted that I was able to play a small part in encouraging people to come out and vote.” The restaurant welcomed 5,300 voters who availed this generous offer, surpassing the 5,100 voters served during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections when a similar opportunity was provided.
Well-known Kannada actors Sundar Raj and Ramesh Bhat, renowned music director K Kalyan, as well as celebrated Kannada poet and Padmashree awardee Dr Dodda Range Gowda, were among those who took advantage of the offer. Throughout the day, long queues of voters stretched from the entry gate.
Additionally, as an added incentive, the first 100 first-time voters who arrived at the restaurant were given free Kannada movie tickets.
On May 9, the Karnataka High Court temporarily blocked a press release issued by the District Election Officer’s office that cautioned hoteliers against providing free or discounted food to voters. However, the court allowed hoteliers to make offers without any political association or taking credit for their actions.
President of the Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association, PC Rao, expressed his satisfaction with the ruling, stating, “The decision was fantastic news for restaurant owners in the city, who eagerly anticipated the opportunity to host voter drives, considering Bengaluru’s reputation for low voter turnout.” The association represents over 4,000 restaurants and hospitality chains in the city.
Cakewala, a bakery outlet, also organised a voter drive, offering a 10% discount on all bakery items to customers who voted and presented an ink mark along with their voter ID card. Moreover, the first 50 first-time voters received a free 500-gram cake of their choice, ranging from black forest to Irish coffee and pineapple. The bakery conducted these drives across all four of its outlets in the city.
Over 500 voters availed the 10% discount, and 13 first-time voters received a complimentary cake of their preferred flavour. Suhas Upadhya, the managing partner of Cakewala, explained, “As a bakery, it is our way of being socially responsible and helping create awareness among our customers about the importance of exercising our right to vote.”
Meanwhile, at the HRBR outlet of Idly Guru, masala dose was offered at a reduced price of ₹ 10 to all voters who arrived with an inked finger after voting.
In addition to restaurants, Wonderla Amusement Park provided a 15% discount on tickets to customers who showed their voting mark at the park. A total of 200 voters from the city took advantage of the offer while booking their tickets.
