Dakshina Kannada records 76.67 percent turnout
Pics: Dayanand Kukkaje / Brijesh Garodi / Spoorthi Ullal / Kishore Peraje
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore / Beltangady / Bantwal / Moodbidri
Updated
Mangalore, Apr 17: At the end of the polling day, Dakshina Kannada saw a voter turnout of 76.67 percent, two percent more than the last Lok Sabha elections of 2009.
Addressing a press meet after the polling was over, deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim said that the percentage is likely to increase as data from Mangalore North has not yet been completely updated.
Barring a few complaints of proxy voting, trespass, absence of names in voters' list and arrogant behaviour by some policemen, the polling went on peacefully throughout the day, he said. A few technical issues such as malfunctioning EVMs in a few polling booths and delay in updates from over 160 booths were reported. He also said some of the presiding officers were slow.
The DC said that 17 EVMs had to be replaced, out of which 11 were replaced before 7 am, and 6 during the day.
Ibrahim expressed happiness over the response of the voters and said that he and other officials had been working hard to ensure free and fair elections, and their efforts, especially the SVEEP campaign to create voter awareness, had paid off.
He said the turnout was 74.44 in the last Lok Sabha elections in 2009 and 74.48 in the Assembly elections in 2013. This time, there was a two-percent increase.
He also said that Dakshina Kannada is one of the constituencies in the state that witnessed high polling percentages.
The voter turnout percentages in Assembly constituencies are as follows:
Beltangady - 76.65 percent
Moodbidri - 74.63 percent
Mangalore North - 70.08 percent
Mangalore South - 70.13 percent
Mangalore (Ullal) - 74.50 percent
Bantwal - 81 percent
Puttur - 82.63 percent
Sullia - 83.76 percent
Update: 4.25 pm
At 4.20 pm, the percentage of polling recorded in Dakshina Kannada stood at 62.16.
The percentages across the constituencies are as follows:
Beltangady - 64.10 percent
Moodbidri - 63.28 percent
Mangalore North - 56.55 percent
Mangalore South - 58.49 percent
Mangalore (Ullal) - 59.23 percent
Bantwal - 55.35 percent
Puttur - 69.84 percent
Sullia - 72.23 percent
Update: 2.35 pm
By 2.30 pm, the voter turnout in Dakshina Kannada constituency crossed the halfway mark, recording 50.91 percent.
The voting has been peaceful so far.
The Assembly constituency-wise break-up is as follows:
Beltangady - 52.06 percent
Moodbidri - 49.95 percent
Mangalore North - 44.31 percent
Mangalore South - 47.81 percent
Mangalore (Ullal) - 50.96 percent
Bantwal - 46.31 percent
Puttur - 58.13 percent
Sullia - 59.62 percent
Update: 1.40 pm
At 1.30 pm, the voter turnout in DK constituency stood at 44.93 percent.
Sources said that Dakshina Kannada is presently leading in the state in terms of polling percentage.
Among the Assembly constituencies in the district, Puttur has taken the lead with turnout of over 53 percent so far, with Sullia coming a close second.
The Assembly constituency-wise polling is as follows:
Beltangady - 47.96 percent
Moodbidri - 43.34 percent
Mangalore North - 39.27 percent
Mangalore South - 42.25 percent
Mangalore (Ullal) - 45. 17 percent
Bantwal - 37. 72 percent
Puttur - 53.10 percent
Sullia - 51.6 percent
Update: 12.21 pm
By noon, Dakshina Kannada constituency recorded a voter turnout of 35.29 percent.
In a sad incident, a voter identified as S Gangu (68), wife of Krishnappa Poojary at Vamanjoor passed away soon after voting. She cast her vote at Shivanagar polling booth and was talking to some people when she suffered a cardiac arrest. She was rushed to hospital but could not be saved.
It may be recalled that a similar incident took place in Kasargod too, when 80-year-old Ayesha died at a polling booth after suffering cardiac arrest.
The percentages in the Assembly constituencies are as follows:
Beltangady - 36.65 percent
Moodbidri - 34.04 percent
Mangalore North - 31.44 percent
Mangalore South - 31.25 percent
Mangalore (Ullal) - 32. 25 percent
Bantwal - 34. 11 percent
Puttur - 40.85 percent
Sullia - 42.36 percent
Among the 1,766 booths, data could not be collected from 168 booths, said sources. Deputy commissioner A B Ibrahim said that EVMs in five polling stations had to be changed after they malfunctioned.
Update: 11.50 am
At 11.40 am, the voter turnout in DK constituency stood at an overall 25.35 percent.
The break up of the percentage is as follows:
Beltangady - 26.09 percent
Moodbidri - 23.26 percent
Mangalore North - 22.17 percent
Mangalore South - 23.29 percent
Mangalore (Ullal) - 25. 85 percent
Bantwal - 27. 56 percent
Puttur - 26.23 percent
Sullia - 29.30 percent
The above percentages are based on data collected from 1,574 out of 1,766 booths across the constituency.
Update: 10.30 am
Dakshina Kannada records 21 percent turnout in first three hours
At 10 am, the polling in Dakshina Kannada constituency stood at 21 percent.
Polling began at a brisk pace at 7 am, with people queuing up in good numbers.
In Beltangady, Dharmasthala Dharmadhikari Dr Veerendra Heggade came along with his family to vote. Beltangady MLA Vasanth Bangera also cast his vote.
District incharge minister Ramanath Rai voted in Bantwal.
It was heart-touching to see many aged as well as differently-abled voters turn up to exercise their franchise despite their limitations.
Sabitha Monis, who does not have both hands, cast her vote by inking her foot.
Another voter who turned up Beltangady was freedom fighter Bhojaraja Hegde.
Voting will go on till 6 pm.
The constituency-wise percentage so far is as follows:
Beltangady - 22.89 percent
Moodbidri - 19.57 percent
Mangalore North - 19.97 percent
Mangalore South - 18.58 percent
Mangalore (Ullal) - 24. 91 percent
Bantwal - 20. 71 percent
Puttur - 23.65 percent
Sullia - 27.04 percent
Update: 9.30 am
Dakshina Kannada records 13.5 percent turnout in first two hours
By 9 am, the constituency has recorded a voter turnout of 13.5 percent in the first two hours of polling.
Voting began at 7 am.
In Mangalore city, people were seen queuing up at their respective booths in good numbers. Among the prominent people spotted were minister Abhaychandra Jain, Bishop Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza, MLA J R Lobo, Congress candidate Janardhan Poojary (Bantwal) and BJP candidate Nalin Kumar Kateel.
So far, the polling has been peaceful and voters are seen to be turning up enthusiastically to exercise their franchise.
First Update
Lok Sabha elections: Polling begins in Dakshina Kannada
Mangalore, Apr 17: After days of intense electioneering in the hot sun, mudslinging battles fought over a series of press meets and volley of charges swinging back and forth, 14 candidates in Dakshina Kannada constituency will have their fates sealed before the sun sets this evening.
The voting for the Lok Sabha elections got under way at 7 am here on Thursday April 17. The elections are being held for 28 seats across Karnataka.
The first one hour saw people lining up at their respective polling booths in good numbers.
The polling will go on till 6 pm. The constituency has 15,64,093 voters of which 7,73,602 are male and 7,90,423 female and 68 others.
BJP candidate Nalin Kumar Kateel and his wife cast their votes at their polling booth in Ladyhill.
Congress candidate Janardhan Poojary cast his vote at his polling booth in Bantwal. As he stood in line waiting for his turn, people came up to greet and wish him good luck.
Bishop of Mangalore diocese Dr Aloysius Paul D'Souza voted at Ganapathy High School.
MLA J R Lobo and his wife were ones of the first ones seen at the polling booth. They cast their votes at St Theresa's School, Bendore.
Addressing reporters, he urged people to vote wisely as this is a very important election in view of Mangalore's development. He asked voters to come out in large numbers and vote peacefully.
Bishop Lawrence Mukkuzhy of Beltangady diocese cast his vote at Beltangady Model School.
The counting and results will be on May 16, along with the rest of the country.
The candidates in the fray from DK are Janardhan Poojary of Congress, Nalin Kumar Kateel of BJP, M R Vasudeva of Aam Aadmi Party, Yadavn Shetty of CPI (M), Haneef Khan of SDPI, Moosa Kunhi alias Abdul Karim of BSP, Supreeth Kumar Poojary of Hindustan Janata Party, and Independents Sudatt Jain, Advocate Ananda Gatty, K Kushala Bellare, Deepak Rajesh Coelho, Maxim Pinto, Subrahmanya Gowda and K N Soma Shekar.
The JD(S) this time is backing SDPI candidate Haneef Khan.
The run-up to the elections in Mangalore saw much drama and high-profile visits by national leaders including BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi and AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi.
For the first time, voters will get an opportunity to reject all the candidates by opting for the NOTA (None of the Above) button in the EVM.
Tight security arrangements have been made across the district to ensure fair and free elections.
To view live webcasting from polling stations across Dakshina Kannada, Click Here