Karnataka bypolls | Turnout up in Maski, down in other two constituencies

Barring a number of situations of boycott and an overarching presence of the pandemic, polling for the byelections to the Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency and Maski and Basavakalyan Legislative Assembly constituencies handed off easily on Saturday.

Maski Assembly section recorded the very best polling proportion of 70.48 adopted by Basavakalyan – 59.57 and Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency – 54.61. Unmindful of the scorching solar, folks got here out to vote in good numbers in Basavakalyan and Maski.

While Maski recorded a rise in polling proportion compared with that in the 2018 Assembly election (68.98%), Basavakalyan and Belagavi recorded a decrease voting proportion compared with the 2018 Assembly election (64.85%) and the 2019 Lok Sabha election (67.21%), respectively.

Polling in all of the three constituencies started on a sluggish tempo however picked up by midday. The Election Commission had made preparations to make sure adherence to the COVID-19 tips in the course of the polling course of, together with markings for queues. Maintaining bodily distance and sporting of masks had been ensured strictly and hand sanitisers had been supplied to the voters.

In Basavakalyan, Congress candidate Mala B. Narayana Rao, spouse of the late B. Narayana Rao (whose loss of life necessitated the byelection), visited the samadhi of her husband earlier than continuing to solid her vote.

At Halapur village, the police detained a person after it was discovered that he was distributing voters’ slips having the identify of the Congress candidate. At Vatagal village, a person was detained after his video of casting vote went viral on social media.

Polling in the Belagavi Lok Sabha constituency started on a boring word with solely 5.54% the citizens casting their votes in the primary two hours. Although it subsequently picked up, the turnout it’s far lower than what was recorded in 2019.

Poll boycott

Voters of Hire Tadasi and Chikka Tadasi villages close to Ramdurg boycotted polling in protest in opposition to the delay in launch of compensation to farmers who suffered flood injury in 2019 and 2020. “We are tired of submitting memorandum after memorandum to the tahsildar and the Deputy Commissioner. We have made several requests to Ministers, the MLA and the MP but to no avail,” a farmers’ consultant mentioned.

Candidate in PPE package

Anand Mamani, MLA, who has examined constructive for COVID-19, voted in Saundatti sporting a PPE package on Saturday.
 
| Photo Credit:
P.K. BADIGER

In Maski, BJP candidate Pratapgouda Patil, who has examined constructive for COVID-19, solid his vote on Saturday sporting PPE package on the authorities faculty in the Killa locality. Like him, a number of COVID-19 sufferers had been allowed to vote following all precautions over the past hour.

The former Minister Ramesh Jarkiholi, who’s recuperating from COVID-19, didn’t come to the sales space to vote in Gokak on Saturday. Polling officers mentioned the MLA had despatched his vote by publish to the polling officer in Gokak two days in the past utilising the particular provision made for COVID-19 sufferers.

Several leaders who campaigned whatever the pandemic have examined constructive, together with Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa.