Polling sans violence fills hope in minds of coastal voters

Mangaluru/ Udupi: Branded as a communal hotspot of Karnataka, the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi witnessed an assembly election, which was by and large peaceful, with no untoward incidents being reported, on the polling day on Wednesday.
Even in 32 critical polling stations, including five vulnerable polling stations in Dakshina Kannada district, no major untoward incidents were reported. Barring technical glitches reported in a few polling stations at Sullia, Mangaluru City South and Charmadi, the poll process went on smoothly in all the eight assembly constituencies of Dakshina Kannada, and five segments of Udupi district.
Due to a technical glitch in the EVM, polling commenced at 7.20 am in booth number 222 at Goonadka in Sullia constituency, according to voters. Meanwhile, voters complained that they had to wait in long queues at a polling booth at Capitanio in Mangaluru city, and later the issue was solved by the district administration, by sending additional poll staff. Technical glitches were also noticed at a polling station at Balya in Kadaba. At a polling station in Puttur, voters complained that the machine was slow, and the voting process was taking a long time.
Dakshina Kannada DC Ravi Kumar MR visited polling stations at various places in the district. Officials said that technical glitches reported at a few polling stations have been rectified immediately. Brisk polling began in the early hours of the day, which was also attributed to the prevailing weather conditions, since it’s hot and humid during the day, and some of the rural areas were witnessing rain in the evening. Some voters claimed that the waiting time was for over an hour. A voter fainted in a polling station at Eshwarmangala, while waiting for his turn to cast his vote.
The SVEEP committees of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi tried their best to ensure that the polling stations looked attractive. Outside theme-based polling booths, like Yakshagana polling booths, people were seen taking selfies. The Mangaluru city police also tried to look into the parking arrangements outside most polling stations in the city limits. The enthusiasm of first-time voters was at its peak. At a few polling stations, many of the first-time voters felt like celebrities, as the media hounded them for their reaction. There were senior citizens, including voters who were 80 years and above, who preferred to experience the festival of democracy than opting to vote from home. Meanwhile, Melita, who was to get married to Alwyn at St Dominic Church, Miyar, cast her vote later during the day, at a polling station in Udupi district. However, a few polling staff in Dakshina Kannada complained that the food provided to them by the district administration, and said that it was of a poor quality.