Sporadic incidents of violence mar polling in north Karnataka districts

At Binkadakatte booth under Gadag Assembly constituency, police wielded lathis and dispersed the Congress and BJP workers trying to influence voters

Stray incidents of violence have marred the polling for the Assembly elections across the north Karnataka region.

A group of Masabinal villagers under the Basavana Bagewadi segment in Vijayapura district damaged the EVM and the VVPAT machines, following rumours that the officials had stopped polling and were shifting the machines.

Sector official Malappa Zarzhari and his staff were shifting the EVMs and VVPATs in a car, when more than 150 residents stopped the car and damaged the voting machines and assaulted the staff. The officials claimed that they were standby EVMs kept for emergencies.

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Superintendent of Police H D Anandkumar said two EVMs, two control units, two ballot units and three VVPATs were damaged and 23 persons were arrested in this regard. Situation turned tense for some time following the incident. Deputy Commissioner Vijay Mahantesh and Anandkumar visited the spot. Polling continued smoothly.

Fake voters held

At the Bhutnal polling booth, Congress candidate from Bijapur City Assembly constituency Abdul Hameed Mushrif and his supporters caught hold of fake voters, who had arrived in vehicles from Chincholi, Kalaburagi district, to vote in favour of the BJP candidate, Basanagouda R Patil Yatnal, and handed them over to the police.

The 120-odd 'voters' admitted that they were labourers of Siddasiri sugar factory in Chincholi and that they were brought in buses to vote in favour of Yatnal. Mushrif has demanded a detailed probe and action against the culprits.

At several constituencies across North Karnataka, Congress and BJP workers came to blows. Two workers - one each from Congress and BJP - sustained injuries during a clash between the workers of the rival parties at Sanjeevarayanakote booth under Bellary Rural constituency on Wednesday.

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A verbal duel broke out between the workers of the rival parties outside the booth. Soon it turned into a physical fight. Congress worker Umeshgouda and Hemanna of BJP, who sustained injuries in the clash, were rushed to a nearby hospital. Ballari Rural police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control. The jurisdictional police have registered a case.

At Binkadakatte booth under Gadag Assembly constituency, police wielded lathis and dispersed the Congress and BJP workers, who were engaged in a verbal exchange for trying to influence voters. The police resorted to lathi charge after a person shoved a policeman.

At a booth set up on the premises of the APMC yard in Gangavati, BJP and Congress workers objected to a KRPP booth agent wearing the party badge. A while later, the BJP's Muslim workers clashed with the KRPP's Muslim workers. The Congress workers also joined, targeting KRPP. Before it could turn physical, police dispersed the warring parties.