The third phase of elections for the 18th Lok Sabha took off with a slow beginning on Tuesday in Yadgir district which falls under two Lok Sabha constituencies with three Assembly constituencies in Raichur and one in Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) Lok Sabha constituencies. As the day progressed, polling saw improvement. And, it was peaceful in both Yadgir and Raichur districts.
According to reports at 1 p.m., polling percentage was just 35.33. It increased to 49.04 by 3 p.m. And, it was 59.48 at 5 p.m. The break-up is as follows: Deodurg recorded 58.38%, Lingsugur 57.98%, Manvi 58.28%, Raichur Urban 54.53%, Raichur Rural 65.21%, Shahapur 57.68%, Surpur 66.72% and Yadgir 56.31%.
Voting stopped
Due to technical problems with the voting machines, polling was stopped for a while at Anand Vidyalaya and Rani Janaki Devi School in Surpur, Kalmangi village of Sindhanur taluk. Polling resumed after the technical problems were resolved.
Meanwhile, people in the same area boycotted voting in support of their demand for a solution to drinking water problem. Voting resumed after officials addressed the problem.
The response was very poor in booth number 225 in Kakkera village of Surpur taluk due to the demise of a local resident, as people participated in the funeral.
In most parts of the district, voters were seen standing in line in front of schools where they had to vote. The elderly and mothers of newborns cast their votes with the help of volunteers and attendees.
Transgenders also voted in large numbers, according to Maya Naik, herself a transgender and a member of the SVEEP committee.
Among the aged, Jujibai, 85, in Bailapur tanda in Hunsagi, Sabavva, 85, in Yadgir, Bismilla Bhi, 84, in Hattikuni, Tippamma, 82, and Bhimavva, 82, both in Yadgir, and Devendrappa, 84, in Hunsagi exercised their franchise.
Shivaranjani, mother of a one-and-a-half-month old baby, travelled from Shahapur to Surpur in an autorickshaw and voted in Satyampet. Another mother of a nine-month-old baby also voted in Yadgir.
First-time voter
A first-time voter, Rudramma, in Yadgir expressed happiness over having voted. The young voter who came to the pink booth in Yadgir also thanked the Election Commission for establishing the pink booth.
Ministers, MLAs vote
Ministers N.S. Bose Raju (KEB School in Raichur) and Sharabasappa Darshanapur (in Darshanapur village), Raja Amareshwar Naik (in Gurgunta village of Lingsugur taluk), MLA Channareddy Patil Tunnur (in Yadgir) Shivaraj Patil (KEB School in Raichur) and Sharanagouda Kandkur (in Kandkur village of Gurmitkal taluk) cast their votes in Yadgir and Raichur districts.
Narasimha Naik and Raja Venugopal Naik, who are fighting the byelections in the Surpur Assembly segment, also voted in Kodekal in Hunsagi taluk and in Surpur, respectively. The former MLA Venkatareddy Mudnal voted in his native Mudnal in Yadgir taluk
From abroad
Amaragouda Byagwat, a native of Byagwat in Raichur district, and Vijay Gujjar, a native of Yadgir, arrived from England and Dubai, respectively to cast their votes. Mr. Byagwat is studying MS in England and Mr. Gujjar is an engineer in Dubai.
Bureaucrats
Deputy Commissioner of Yadgir B. Susheela and Chief Executive Officer Garima Panwar also cast their votes at Dhokha School in Yadgir.
Deputy Commissioner of Raichur L. Chandrasekhar Naik and Superintendent of Police of Raichur Nikhil B. voted in Raichur Urban and Police Colony in Raichur.
Officer dies
Basavaraj, 56, who was on election duty as Booth Level Officer in a booth in Jagir Jadaladinni village, Deodurg taluk of Raichur district, died due to severe health issues. He suddenly collapsed and died on the way to hospital.
Meanwhile, Mr. Chandrashekhar Naik and Mr. Nikhil told The Hindu over phone that polling was peaceful in Raichur district and that there were no untoward incidents.
