With the official machinery working full time to make all arrangements for the Sunday’s Assembly election, workers of various political parties are guarding vulnerable areas across the city to keep an eye on their rivals trying to lure voters at the last minute.
They are taking turns, staying awake throughout the night, and patrolling the area to ensure that such things do not miss attention.
P Purushottam, a Congress worker, who also owns a cable network in Rajajinagar, said, “There is a tough fight this time and anybody can win by a thin margin. Normally, candidates try to lure voters in slums by distributing money and other things just a day before the elections.”
“Our rivals may try to entice voters and it will affect our winning chances. Therefore, we have asked our party workers in Indira Nagar slum and Manjunathanagar to keep a watch for such things”. He claimed that his partymen caught some supporters of a rival candidate trying to distribute money at 4 am on Friday and let them off with a warning.
Keerthi, a resident of Indira Nagar slum, said he has been asked to keep a vigil and inform a particular TV channel if someone is found luring the voters.
According to B Murthy, a JD(S) worker from Mahalakshmi Layout, the local political leaders and workers wield some influence over voters in some pockets. Therefore, their rivals identify and try to lure them by giving them money and other things just before the election.
“Such things normally happen in slums and people vote for those who give them money,” he said.
The party workers also alert the police whenever they come across such instances.
According to police officials, they have been receiving tip-offs from workers of different parties.
“We have registered some cases based on such information,” they said.