BENGALURU: Assembly elections went off peacefully in the city on Wednesday, barring some minor altercations between party workers and glitches in Electronic Voting Machines (EVM) in a few places. Some voters, despite having their voter ID cards, found their names missing from the voters’ list, and vented their ire on election officials when they were not allowed to vote.
Police personnel deployed for security had to persuade such voters to leave the polling booths. Bengaluru Police Commissioner CH Pratap Reddy told TNIE, “No major incidents were seen anywhere because of action taken against rowdies and warrant holders.”
“Except for model code of conduct violations, there were no other incidents and elections went on peacefully,” SD Sharanappa, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime), nodal officer for Bengaluru City Police for the Karnataka assembly elections, told TNIE.
During heated arguments between party workers in some areas, security personnel had to pitch in to control the situation before it went out of control. At a polling station in RT Nagar, Congress candidate Byrathi Suresh warned a JDS worker for seeking votes at the polling station. There were rumours that workers of two political parties indulged in violence at a booth in Padmanabhanagar. DCP (South) P Krishnakant clarified that it was just an argument between two groups and the situation was peaceful. He further that legal procedures would be followed.
“Some small instances and non-cognisable cases have been taken. There were no attacks or arrests in the Southeast division. Due to thorough planning, the elections were peaceful,” CK Baba, DCP, Southeast, said.
Meanwhile, speaking about the incident where villagers of Masabinal village stopped a poll duty vehicle carrying EVMs, manhandled an officer, and damaged control and ballot units, DG&IGP Praveen Sood said the incident happened as people suspected that the officials had taken the EVMs away after stopping polling midway. “They were reserve or surplus EVMs, which are carried into every sector. We have arrested some people in the case,” said Sood.