About 62.4 per cent of the 1.08 lakh electorate exercised their franchise in the Kannada Sahitya Parishat (KSP) elections for the post of the State unit president and district unit presidents on Sunday. The polling, which began on a dull note in the morning, picked up pace by afternoon. Returning Officer S.T. Mohan Raj told The Hindu that the elections in all the 30 districts were largely peaceful.
The result of the election to the post of the KSP's central committee president would be announced on May 2, he said.
The new president, who will have a term of three years, will have the opportunity of heading the centenary celebrations of the KSP, which was established on May 5, 1915.
According to Mr. Mohan Raj, 192 polling stations were set up in the State. Over 1,500 officials were involved in the election process. According to highly placed sources, Bangalore Urban district registered a voter turnout of 37 per cent, the lowest in the State, and Koppal and Yadgir recorded the highest turnout of 75 per cent.
Prominent personalities, including writers and poets such as G.S. Shivarudrappa, G.S. Siddalingaiah, M. Chidananda Murthy, Narahalli Balasubramanya, Sa.Shi. Marulaiah and N.S. Lakshminarayana Bhatta, politicians R. Roshan Baig and Leeladevi R. Prasad, and actors Srinivasa Murthy and Aravind exercised their franchise in National High School, Basavanagudi, here.
There were 10 candidates in the fray for the post of the KSP's central committee president, including the former president Chandrashekar Patil, the former treasurer Pundalika Halambi, former honorary secretaries Jaraganahalli Shivashankar and K.V. Chandranna Gowda, film actor R. Ashok, Jayaprakash Gowda, Shekar Gowda Malipatil, R.S.N. Gowda, Ma. Chi. Krishna and Shivappa Mallappa Bagala.
But, it is said that the fight was between Prof. Chandrashekar Patil and Mr. Halambi.
Keywords: Kannada Sahitya Parishat
