There was tension for a while at Nagenahalli polling booth at Hebbal here on Sunday when the BJP member of the outgoing Legislative Assembly, Katta Subramanya Naidu, and his supporters shouted slogans such as “Tughlaq darbar” against the police after they were stopped from entering the polling booth area.
Mr. Naidu, who came to the polling booth in the afternoon and was stopped from entering the prohibited area, entered into a heated argument with the police after which the Returning Officer suspended the polling process for some time.
“We can understand his frustration but could not allow him to go into the booth,” said a police officer reacting to the incident said.
Groups caned
In another incident, the Hebbal police caned supporters of the Janata Dal(S) and the BJP when they clashed at the University of Agricultural Science polling booth.
The situation was tense in Kausar Nagar polling booth in Hebbal Assembly segment when Janata Dal(S) workers clashed with Congress supporters accusing the latter of aggressively wooing voters, forcing the R.T. Nagar police to intervene.
Similarly, minor clashes were reported in J.J. Nagar and Nagavara.
Deepu, a BJP worker, was arrested on the charge of manhandling a police constable in Ramamurthynagar when asked why he was lurking around a polling booth. Police Constable Basappa was taken to hospital later.
Similar incidents were reported in Bommanahalli, MICO Layout, Tilaknagar, Chickpet and Srirampuram near Rajajinagar. In Katriguppe near Banashankari, BJP and Janata Dal(S) workers clashed, inviting police action.
Peaceful: Auradkar
Police Commissioner Raghavendra H. Auradkar said that the polling process was peaceful, barring stray incidents.
“We are happy with the performance of the State police and the Central armed forces who strove to maintain law and order,” Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Bipin Gopalkrishna said.
Barring a situation in Kolar, the entire poll process was peaceful, he said.
