Except for a few untoward incidents, polling in the 41 Assembly segments spread across the seven districts of Kalyana Karnataka was, by and large, peaceful on Wednesday. People were seen enthusiastically coming to the polling stations with their family members and friends, exercising their franchises and, some of them, taking selfies and posing for photos after casting their votes.
The turnout, which was thin in the morning, went on to grow with the day. Political parties, candidates and their supporters were found busy bringing the voters to the polling stations and helping them, especially the aged and the sick, to cast their votes.
As per the figures provided by the Election Commission (EC) at 5 p.m., Kampli segment in Ballari district recorded the highest voter turnout with 78.9%. The other segments on the top were Kudligi (75.03%), Yelburga (74.35%), Harapanahalli (73.9%), Hagari Bommanahalli (72.98%), Kanakagiri (72.89%), Siruguppa (71.15%), Hadagali (71.08), Raichur Rural (70.98%), Bhalki (70.46%), and Gangavati (70.05%).
Kalaburagi South recorded the lowest turnout in the region with (49.03%). Other segments at the bottom were Kalaburagi North (51.82%), Ballari City (54.84%), Raichur (55.84%), Chittapur (56.5%), Bidar South (56.8%), Bidar (57.4%), Shahapur (58.15%), Gurmitkal (58.2%), Yadgir (58.26%), Humnabad (58.32%), and Aland (58.85%).
The EC, however, clarified that the figures were expected to vary after the final data was collected.
Clashes
Two incidents of clashes between the workers of rival political parties are reported – one from the Gangavati segment in the Vijayanagara district and the other from the Ballari Rural segment in the Ballari district.
In Gangavati, the verbal clash was between BJP and Kalyana Rajya Pragati Paksha (KRPP) and in Ballari Rural, it was between Congress and BJP workers.
The heated exchange of words between BJP and KRPP activists developed in Gangavati after the district president of the BJP Youth Morcha Shivakumar Arikeri objected to the KRPP booth agent wearing a badge with her party candidate Gali Janardhana Reddy’s photo at a booth opened in the APMC. The Congress activists also joined hands with BJP in opposing the KRPP agent.
Mr. Reddy came to the spot and asked the police to write down the names of the people who triggered tension and take action. BJP activists termed Mr. Reddy’s remarks as a threat. At one point, the verbal exchange seemed to be turning physical clash. However, police intervened and dispersed the mob.
The exact reason for the clash between BJP and Congress workers at Sanjivarayana Kote village in the Ballari Rural segment was not known. Congress candidate B. Nagendra, who rushed to the spot, alleged that his party worker Umesh Gowda was injured in the physical assault by BJP workers and demanded the administration take stringent action. Transport Minister B. Sriramulu is the BJP candidate in the segment.
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