People waiting to vote at polling station 139 at Government Higher Primary School, Sulugodu, under Hallihole village, in Udupi on Tuesday. The village is a Maoist-affected area. | Photo Credit: UMESH S. SHETTIGAR
The Byndoor Assembly segment in Udupi district under Shivamogga Lok Sabha constituency recorded 76.4% voting (provisional) on Tuesday. The polling was peaceful.
Actor Rishab Shetty of Kantara fame who voted at a polling station at the government school in Keradi told reporters that voting was his responsibility and that’s why he did it. He said that he voted in the evening expecting that there wouldn’t be much rush.
Incidentally Mr. Shetty voted in the school in which he had studied. He has also adopted the school for implementing development projects.
Actor Rishabh Shetty after he cast his vote at a polling station at Keradi village in Byndoor Assembly Constituency, Udupi on Tuesday. | Photo Credit: UMESH S. SHETTIGAR
Mr. Shetty said that the playground at the school has been made spacious and building and furniture works are yet to begin. He said that the works could not be completed on time owing to Lok Sabha elections.
At a polling station in Are Shiroor, the district SVEEP Committee arranged a vehicle to ferry senior citizens and physically challenged persons to and from polling booths. A traditional polling booth in Kollur had a roof made of coconut fronds that provided much-needed shade to voters.
At a polling station in Government Lower Primary School, Maravanthe, the access path leading from the highway to the polling station was not proper. Hence, wheelchairs of physically challenged persons could not access it.
A physically challenged voter Praveen blamed the local gram panchayat officials for not keeping the access path in good condition despite instructions from the district administration to keep all amenities well-equipped. Crushed jelly stones were strewn on the access path leading to the polling station. But the surfacing was not done to ensure free movement of wheelchairs.
Chaya, a physically challenged woman, found it difficult to move in a wheelchair in this polling booth due to the bad access path.
In the early hours, polling was brisk in Byndoor. A total of 13.66% of votes had been polled in Byndoor Assembly segment at 9 a.m.
