Mangalore: The 'unseen' side of election


Shreyas HS
Daijiworld Media Network-Mangalore

Mangalore, Apr 18: It was observed that during the election proceedings in DK on Thursday, April 17, amidst the seriousness of exercising the franchise in the world’s largest democracy, incidents like, altering the poll rules, marking ink on the wrong hand, worries due to the adhar card, lesson to a presiding officer and others gave a touch of light humor to the elections.

Ink mark to the right hand thumb

As many as fifteen voters were marked on their right hand thumbs at poll station 158, Capitanio. This was due to the ignorance of the person who was assigned the work of marking the thumb. The incident came to light when a person showed a wrongly marked finger to a freelance journalist, following which the journalist informed the presiding officer of the booth to rectify the mistake. After this, no such incidents were reported.


Picture for reference only, not related to this news items

Chaos after officer altered the poll norm

It was informed to the electorate that the identity slip issued a day before the polling was sufficient to exercise the vote. However, at booth number 104 at Karkala, after an hour of polling, the presiding officer denied the right to vote to those who carried only their identity slip to the booth. He insisted that the epic card was necessary to cast their vote.

Chaos erupted when the voters started a heated argument with the officer contending that the identity card was the only requirement to vote as it was informed to the people through media. Moreover, in the wee hours, the people who had voted did so showing the same slip. This was informed to the officer during the argument claiming the officer had changed the rule in between the poll according to his will.

The officer who seemed adamant to listen to any arguments put forth by the people said that he had not allowed any one to vote without presenting the epic card. Troubled by the situation, the voters informed the Tahsildar and the election officer. Following the complaint, they directed the poll presiding officer to continue with the polling.

Adhar later became niradhar

At the Handelu polling booth, Moodabidri zonal president of the Karnataka state farmers association Dhanakeerti Balipa had come with his adhar card to cast his vote. But the official at the booth sent him back to bring some other ID proof saying that the adhar card does not work during the elections. Irked by the incident, a frustrated Balipa went home to bring another ID proof to cast his vote.
 
Lesson to the presiding official

In the polling booth at Bolwar that falls in the Puttur assembly constituency, a lawyer taught an officer a lesson of regulations listed for the elections.

When the presiding officer denied the voting right to a septuagenarian Parvati (75), a lawyer, K E Shivaprasad intervened saying she can cast her vote with the ID slip. When the officer argued with the lawyer, he asked the officer to read rule number 11 from the papers that provided the regulations to the officers. After going through the rule he said that the ID slip was sufficient to vote. Feeling humiliated, the officer finally allowed the lady to cast her vote.

Alive voters appeared on the list of deceased

Few in DK were shocked to death when they heard that they were ‘dead’ according to the list of the deceased that was with the poll officials. ‘You are dead, you are not allowed to vote,’ were the words uttered by the officials that started an argument in some booths across the district. Understanding the situation, the officials made alternate arrangements of taking down the written statement from the voter; further allowing then to vote.

‘I don’t have water and power supply; I do not want to vote’

Meena Shedti of Moodabidri reflected her agony before the booth officials claiming she has no access to water and power supply. Continuing her cry, she further questioned as to why she should vote when her problems were not addressed. (enk neer ijji, karent ijji, yaan daye vote padodu), but she finally agreed to vote.

  

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Comment on this article

  • Ravi B Shenava, Mangalore

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    Thank God ! they did not send back the person who had lost his right hand thumb in an accident ...LOL

    DisAgree [1] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse

  • D.P.SHETTY, Bahrain

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    Meena Shedti ststement is correct,67 years after independence our govt cannot supply water & electricity to our citizen.India was poor while got the Independence but keeping India still poor sin of our rulers.Jai hoo BJP.

    DisAgree [10] Agree [21] Reply Report Abuse

  • Praveen Mendonca, Mangalore

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    Jai Hooo BJP! then why not she got water and electricity during Yeddy ruled Karnataka. Jai Meena Shedthi, she will get water and electricity this time

    DisAgree [11] Agree [7] Reply Report Abuse

  • jey emm, Mumbai

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    Wrong Kaiku Ink padnaga ee ponjoklu jaidithana

    DisAgree [9] Agree [10] Reply Report Abuse

  • Af, mangalore

    Sat, Apr 19 2014

    what nonsense you are talking, sitting at mumbai.
    this time election commission of Karnataka ordered to mark the ink on the left hand thumb, ok
    better watch some Kannada channel news.

    DisAgree [2] Agree [4] Reply Report Abuse

  • vittal poojary, Muniyal/Mangalore

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    thanks to DW good work

    DisAgree [4] Agree [11] Reply Report Abuse

  • mohan amin, Mumbai

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    On a lighter note....Thank god, ink mark not put on the forehead of voters as a sign of traditional vote !!! God save my motherland... LOL

    DisAgree [4] Agree [18] Reply Report Abuse

  • Darnappa, Bangalore

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    Jai Ho...............

    DisAgree [6] Agree [6] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dinesh Poojary, Kundapura/Bengaluru

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    Biggest shame would have been election officials sending NANDAN NILEKANI back home because he came with his Adhar card. Ha..Ha..

    DisAgree [26] Agree [30] Reply Report Abuse

  • Dinesh Poojary, Kundapura/Bengaluru

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    I applied for VOTERS ID in 1st week of March in Bangalore. I did not get my VOTER ID CARD, but my name was there in the list. Yesterday I went to polling booth with my DL which has Kundapur address. They verified the name and photo and let me to vote.

    Thank god, till now I did not apply for useless Adhaar Card. Otherwise even they would have sent me back yesterday.

    As per the notification from Karnatala CEO, the ID proofs allowed are DL, Passport, Bank Passbook, Ration Card.

    Election commissioner also very well knows adhar cards were issued to illegal Bangaldeshi migrants as per CONGRESS'S VOTE BANK POLICY. There are nearly 2 lakh bangladeshi illegal migrants n bangalore. Many thanks to election commissioner. Congress's dirty plan failed.

    DisAgree [17] Agree [29] Reply Report Abuse

  • alan, mangalore

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    Dinesh poojary, The illegal Bangladeshis were granted visas by yeddy to work in Reddy Industries.Thanks to B.J.P Govt.

    DisAgree [13] Agree [8] Reply Report Abuse

  • j.anata, Mangaluru / Bengaluru

    Fri, Apr 18 2014

    Good description of different hues of things which were otherwise not reported...Good job DW!

    DisAgree [1] Agree [9] Reply Report Abuse


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