Kalyana Karnataka ready for voting in Assembly Elections 2023

Polling staff leaving a mustering centre for their designated polling station in Kalaburagi on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Vehicles meant for carrying polling staff and security personnel to polling stations lined up at a mustering centre in Kalaburagi on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: ARUN KULKARNI

Administrations in the Kalyana Karnataka region were busy on the eve of Assembly Elections 2023 on Tuesday making last-minute preparations for polling scheduled for Wednesday.  

Thousands of polling staff and security personnel were present at the mustering centres opened across the regions for collecting poll material and getting instructions from their superior officers. Apart from the returning officers of each Assembly constituency, the Deputy Commissioners, who were the District Election Officers, were also present at the centres to guide polling staff.

As and when the mustering was over, the polling staff and the security personnel left for their designated polling stations in vehicles provided for them for the purpose.

On the other hand, all the political parties and candidates were also found making last-minute efforts to attract voters. Since the public campaigning had ended on Monday evening itself, they approached the voters directly for one-to-one interaction and sought their support in the elections.

Many places in the region received good rainfall on Tuesday. However, the rains did not deter political activists from visiting voters’ houses and seeking their support. The polling staff and security personnel were also found moving towards their vehicles in the rains at some mustering centres.

Violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) were also reported from some places in the region. Kalaburagi Deputy Commissioner Yeshwanth Gurukar himself chased the BJP activists, who were distributing money among voters in Kalaburagi South Constituency and arrested two of them in the wee hours.

Vijayanagara Deputy Commissioner Venkatesh T. said that BJP supporters in Hagari Bommanahalli constituency were caught red-handed when they were distributing money among voters at Chapparadahalli village in Kottur taluk. The officer said that a sum of ₹8.26 in cash was seized during the raid.

There are 41 Assembly Constituencies spread in seven districts – Bidar, Kalaburagi, Yadgir, Raichur, Koppal, Vijayanagara and Ballari districts. Kalaburagi is the largest district with nine Assembly segments followed by Raichur (7), Bidar (6), Koppal, Vijayanagara and Ballari (5) and Yadgir (4).