Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency witnessed 77.97% voter turnout
Mangaluru: Enthusiasm was visible among voters who lined up in front of polling stations in large numbers from early in the morning to elect their Lok Sabha member from Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha constituency on Friday.
Polling for the 18th Lok Sabha elections went on peacefully barring a few minor incidents with the constituency tentatively registering a 77.44% turnout. The final figures would be made known later, said Deputy Commissioner and Returning Officer M.P. Mullai Muhilan.
An alleged BJP worker entered into an altercation with the police objecting to police allowing the Congress candidate Padmaraj R. Poojari to speak to the media at the entrance to Capitanio School in the city. The incident occurred after Mr Poojary came out of the booth after exercising his franchise. The police however defused the situation after suitably warning the worker.
In another incident, one Ranjith Bangera of Aryapu entered polling station 147 not only with a mobile phone but also recorded himself voting for the Congress candidate and circulated the same on a WhatsApp group in the Puttur Assembly segment. This violated the Election Commission’s prohibition on taking mobile or cordless phones inside polling stations and also violated the secret ballot rule.
Muhilan said an FIR for unduly influencing voters and violating official orders under the provisions of the IPC and the Representation of People’s Act was filed against the accused.
Polling began at a brisk pace in the constituency with people lining up in front of their respective polling stations even before the process commenced at 7 am.
The tempo was visible till around 11 a.m. after which the temperatures soared high and many polling stations wore an almost deserted look till around 3 p.m. The pace gained momentum thereafter with the turnout almost matching the 2019 figures of 77.97%.
Congress candidate Padmaraj R. Poojary and BJP candidate Captain Brijesh Chowta (BJP) exercised their franchise at polling stations in Capitanio School and Car Street Government College, respectively, in the morning itself.
Incumbent Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel voted at a booth near Ladyhill. Mangaluru (Ullal) MLA and Legislative Assembly Speaker U.T. Khader did his franchising at Boliyar village while Mangaluru City South and North MLAs D. Vedavyasa Kamath and Y. Bharath Shetty voted at booths near Gandhinagar and KPT respectively. Mangaluru Bishop Peter Paul Saldanha too exercised his franchise.