Seventy-three voters of Dandoti village in Chittapur taluk were forced to return without voting after people residing in the area of their polling station created a ruckus.
When the villagers went to the polling station, where they have been exercising franchise till now, they found their names missing from the list.
On enquiring, they came to know that their names were under the polling booth in the neighbouring village of Malkood. They arranged for vehicles to reach Malkood
When the Dandoti villagers were standing in queue at the polling station in Malkood, locals objected. Malkood villagers told election officers not to allow Dandoti villagers to vote in their village.
Their contention was that when some of the villagers of Malkood were not allowed to vote on flimsy grounds, how could Dandoti voters be allowed to exercise their franchise.
Tension prevailed in Malkood due to heated arguments between villagers and police.
Chittapur Tahsildar Gurunath Vaidya visited the spot and direct the voters of Dandoti to go back without voting. Additional Deputy Commissioner Govind Reddy confirmed that the 73 voters were persuaded to go back without voting.