MANDYA: "For the first time I have voted for myself, it was a new experience and a new beginning will start from today," said independent candidate Sumalatha Ambareesh, talking to the media at Dodda Arasinkere in Maddur after casting her vote.
She said the people had washed out the dirt and the good days are here for the Mandya people. Talking about her experience voting, she said that even she took five minutes to trace her number on the EVM.
"I am confident that people of Mandya are mature and they will definitely cast their vote to elect their leader."
Sumalatha said that there has been an overwhelming response in every village she visited from the morning as she appealed to all the voters to participate in the festival of democracy to build a strong Nation and to elect a strong leader.
She expressed satisfaction over preparations made by the district officers to conduct a free and fair election. However there were few cases of people taking law and order into their hands and targeting her supporters, she said.
When asked about the issues of EVM and complaints of the second EVM being faulty, she said that JDS has tried every way to do their mischief.
"There may be the possibility of a few tampering incidents, I will take it up with the ECI."
Sumalatha received a good response when she reached the booth and she stood in line with other women to vote. She also offered puja at Kannada Basaveshwara Temple before voting.
She paid a visit to the Chamundeshwari temple in Mysore earlier in the day where she appealed to the Mandya people to vote for self-respect.