It has been over a week since his death, but large posters remembering Jayanagar MLA B.N. Vijayakumar still adorn every nook and corner of the constituency.
They were the only reminder of the polling that was under way in other parts of Karnataka as elections have been countermanded at the constituency. The quiet streets were a stark contrast to the nearby Chickpet constituency where polling was in full swing.
Gajendra, a marketing professional and resident of Jayanagar, said voters will have to evaluate their choices all over again. “But people are aware of the need to vote. They will make an informed choice once the candidates are announced,” he said.
For financial adviser Bhuvaneshwari, who was in Rajasthan for a week, it will be an unasked for second chance to vote. “We returned on Saturday. We heard about the MLA’s death while we were there. I don’t know if we would have made it in time to vote on Saturday,” she said.
Silence in R.R. Nagar
The electorate in Rajarajeshwarinagar constituency were robbed of their opportunity to vote after over 9,000 voter ID cards were found stacked in a flat in Jalahalli. The Election Commission then decided to defer the election to May 28. But many appeared to agree with the decision.
Resident Narayan Gowda said, “The Election Commission’s decision is right, if not, all political parties will resort to such practices. Though it might have caused a loss of time and money to the Election Commission, it should make it a priority to solve this case quickly so that even the people are aware of the wrong doers, and thereby, their precious votes should reach the right candidate.”
Manjunath Shetty, who runs a shop in R.R. Nagar BEML Layout, said, “It is a very good decision by the Election Commission as it is a warning to all the parties not to indulge in such malpractices. Though it might cause inconvenience to the general public, it will help us use our discretion and choose the right candidate."
(With inputs from Karthik Vittal G.S.)
