Elections to the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) council on Friday took off on a dull note in the morning, but picked up pace towards afternoon resulting in moderate polling.
This is the first election after the JD(S) and Congress coalition government came to power in the State. However, the two coalition partners were fighting independently in the MCC election, which is by and large witnessing a three-way fight with the main parties also witnessing ‘rebel’ trouble in some wards.
The overall voter response appeared mixed, with the wards witnessing moderate to vigorous polling. The tentative polling percentage was 50.01%. The polling was by and large peaceful. In total, 393 candidates, including 163 women, were in the fray in 65 wards.
There were discrepancies in the voters’ list with names of many voters either missing or booths shifted to other locations.
Shailaja, a resident of Saraswathipuram, said her booth had been shifted though she had been voting in a particular booth for the last 28 years.
The shifting of booths was cited to be a result of delimitation of wards which was done a few weeks ago. Voters were caught unawares and led to confusion in some wards. In one case reported from J.P. Nagar, the husband voted in one ward while his wife voted in another.
Political party leaders and workers, cutting across the party lines, said the confusion might have put off voters from exercising their franchise.
The leaders pleaded helplessness and blamed officials. However, they were seen helping voters to look for their names in the list.
The Ursu Boarding School premises near Maharaja College grounds was bustling with around 5,000-plus voters from K.G. Koppal, Chamarajapuram, Saraswathipuram and surrounding areas coming to vote. There was less activity at certain polling booths such as booth number 224 in JSS Women’s College where only 96 of the 1,000-plus voters had cast their vote by 1 p.m.
There was good response at booth in Ward No. 42 in TTL College in Saraswathipuram, Kuvempu School in Kuvempunagar and in booths across Jayanagar and Ashokapuram. But there were not many instances of voters queuing up to the booths to vote since there was a balanced turnout since morning.
Candidates and party workers were seen making last ditch attempts to woo voters.
The district administration had made elaborate arrangements to ensure free and fair polling. Policemen were present at every booth. Police mobile squads did the rounds to maintain law and order.
