BENGALURU: Though voting in the Shivajinagar assembly constituency saw a slow start in the bypoll on Thursday, however, afternoon, voting picked up pace. The constituency recorded 44.6 per cent polling. According to officials near the polling booths, the reason for slow voting was not because people were apathetic, it was mainly because of the lifestyle and working hours of the people living in Shivajinagar and its surrounding areas including Bharathi Nagar and some pockets of Ulsoor.
“Majority of the voters in Shivajinagar constituency sleep after midnight and wake up late in the morning as they run businesses till midnight,” one official said.The voting percentage is less compared to the 2018 assembly elections when it recorded 54 per cent.
The major fight in this constituency is between M Saravana (BJP) and Rizwan Arshad (Congress). The JDS has fielded Tanveer Ahmed. There are 12 others candidates in the fray. All the candidates cast their votes along with their family members.
Interestingly, BJP candidate Saravana had forgotten to carry his ID proof with him. He entered the booth without the ID, realised he had forgotten it, went back and took it from his car and later cast his vote.
Meanwhile, in polling booth number 171, Saravana noticed there were no lights and told the polling officials it was so dark inside the booth that he was unable to see the names and symbols on the VVPAT. “If I can’t see, how can senior citizens see the names on VVPAT,” he asked the officials. He left the booth after the officials assured him they would make necessary arrangements.
Congress candidate Rizwan Arshad spoke to the media after casting his vote, and said that he had the blessings of the people and that he would surely win.
Both Saravana and JDS candidate Tanveer Ahmed sepearately went round and urged the people to vote.
Fayaz Pasha, who is visually impaired and who had come to cast his vote along with his family members in booth number 93, didn’t need such persuasion. He told TNIE, “Casting my vote is my right, I don’t miss voting under any circumstances. We have the right to select our representative.”