The Hindu Business Line : 55 pc turnout in phase I polling in Karnataka

EXPERIMENT with the paper-less voting process met with virtual success, except for some minor glitches and stray incidents of electronic voting machine (EVM) capturing by miscreants and party workers, during the first phase of polling to the 15 Lok Sabha and 120 Assembly seats in Karnataka, which concluded on Tuesday.

The overall polling average was estimated at 55 per cent, about 10 to 12 per cent less than what was witnessed during the last election in 1999.

Many voters in the State had the first hand experience of the EVM, which were used with felicity by most voters.

Reports of tampering of EVMs by party workers and miscreants were reported from 10 polling booths. The State had deployed about 40,000 EVMs for the first phase of polling.

According to the Chief Election Commissioner, Mr Abhijit Dasgupta, the figures received by his office were tentative and a final position about the overall voting figures would be announced tomorrow.

He said though there were reports of disturbances and violence in some polling booths, the Commission would take cognisance only after official reports were received from the returning officers. He admitted that complaints of bogus voting and missing names of voters from a few constituencies were received from both the voters and party workers.

He said requests for re-polling in booths where large-scale disturbances or irregularities were reported would be taken after careful scrutiny of the complaints. The re-polling, if necessary would be held on Thursday, he said.

Giving the figures of polling in the State, Mr Dasgupta said Chickbellapur near Bangalore had the highest percentage of polling at 63. It was followed by Tumkur and Koppal at 60 . The constituency is represented by former Prime Minister, Mr H.D. Deve Gowda.