BELAGAVI/KALABURAGI/HUBBALLI: Elections to the city corporations of Belagavi, Kalaburagi and Hubballi-Dharwad amid the volatile COVID-19 situation, evoked a poor response as average polling in all three cities hovered between 50 per cent and 56 per cent, as per preliminary reports at the end of polling on Friday evening.
Belagavi recorded an average polling of 50.41 per cent, Kalaburagi 49.4 per cent and Hubballi-Dharwad 53.81 per cent. While the low turnout of voters in Belagavi was apparently due to COVID fear - which still prevails among residents - the poor voting in Kalaburagi was attributed to the neglect of party workers of both BJP and Congress. At Hubballi-Dharwad, the turnout was poor mostly due to the delimitation of wards which put voters on tenterhooks.
When polling continued at snail's pace even after 2pm in Belagavi, activists from various parties were frantically trying to get people to vote, by providing them with voter slips. At many places, complaints were voiced through social media and on ground, after hundreds of names went missing from the voters’ list. Prof Munshi from Azam Nagar said the names of all his six family members were missing.
A large number of people put up angry posts on social media about their names missing from the final list. A total of 415 polling stations were set up in 58 wards of Belagavi, with people barely following COVID-19 guidelines at the polling booths.
MP Mangala Angadi voted at a booth in Sadashiv Nagar, Belagavi, along with her two daughters. MLAs Laxmi Hebbalkar, Abhay Patil and Anil Benake were among the prominent personalities who voted.
The shuffle of wards, following delimitation in Hubballi-Dharwad, got voters into a tizzy in many areas. With the number of wards increasing to 82 from 67, voters at several places were confused about where to exercise their franchise.
Anil M Desai, a businessman from Hubballi, said he visited three booths at three different schools to find his name in the list, but in vain. "My name was visible online, but not in the booths. After delimitation, my family members' names were included in Ward 57, but not my name. I tried to search my name but could not find it," he added.
Polling to elect 55 corporators to Kalaburgi Mahanagara Palike was peaceful even as a verbal clash took place between BJP activists and police near the polling booth at lower primary school, at Hanuman Nagar Thanda.
BJP leaders alleged that Congress leaders persuaded BJP supporters to exercise their franchise in favour of the Grand Old Party. When BJP leaders questioned it, the police assaulted them, they alleged. However, Kalaburagi-South MLA Dattatreya Patil Revoor arrived at the spot and warned the police to take up the matter with the authorities if they harassed BJP activists.
VOTING PERCENTAGE
Belagavi: 50.41 per cent
Kalaburagi: 49.40 per cent
Hubballi-Dharwad: 53.81 per cent