About 70 % voting in repolling at 12 booths in Karnataka

Bangalore, Apr 29 (PTI) An estimated 70 per cent of the
electorate today cast their vote in the re-polling held at 12
polling stations across nine Lok Sabha constituencies in
Karnataka.
        "We have estimated 65 to 70 per cent voter turnout at
re-polling held in 12 polling stations today," Karnataka Chief
Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha told PTI.
        "Polling was normal and peaceful," he added.
        The CEO had recommended re-polling at 11 polling stations
due to technical problems in EVMs and polling station at
Turuvekere in Tumkur Lok Sabha constituency because of human
error committed by election officials.
        Re-polling took place in polling stations in Lok Sabha
constituencies of Tumkur, Haveri, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga,
Raichur, Bidar, Shimoga and Hassan.
        All 28 Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka went to
polls on April 17 in a single phase, registering an overall
67.28 per cent polling.
        CEO had earlier suspended four election officials for
trying to handle the voting machine in violation of electoral
laws. PTI KSU 

Repolling in 12 polling stations in Karnataka on April 29

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  B D Narayankar reports
  
  

  Bangalore, April 26 (PTI) Repolling will be held in 12 polling stations spread across nine Lok Sabha constituencies in Karnataka on April 29 due to technical problems in Electronic Voting Machines during the April 17 single-phase polls.

  Announcing the repolling, Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Anil Kumar Jha said the model code of conduct will come into operation with immediate effect in those districts where repolling has been recommended.

  Jha said repolling was recommended in 11 polling stations due to technical problems in EVMs. "We recommended repolling in Turuvekere polling station in Tumkur Lok Sabha constituency after finding out human error committed by election officials on duty," he added.

  Four election officials, who committed the mistake, have been suspended, Jha said adding they tried to handle the voting machine in violation of electoral laws.

  Repolling will take place in polling stations located in Lok Sabha constituencies of Tumkur, Haveri, Bagalkot, Bijapur, Gulbarga, Raichur, Bidar, Shimoga and Hassan, he said.

  Asked whether there would be a repoll in the light of state unit JD-S President and party's Tumkur Lok Sabha constituency candidate A Krishnappa's death on April 23, he said "first we have to complete the process of counting and a decision will be taken after the results come out." Jha also expressed satisfaction over the voters turnout in three of Bangalore's Lok Sabha seats even though it registered one per cent drop compared to the 2013 assembly elections.

  In the assembly elections, as much as 57.64% of voters turnout was registered in 24 assembly segments of Bangalore North, South and Central Lok Sabha seats, Jha said.

  In comparison, the voters turnout in 24 assembly segments in Lok Sabha elections held in Bangalore's three constituencies registered 55.99% of voters turnout, Jha said.

  "Even if it is 1% less compared to voters turnout in assembly polls, it can be said it was a good show by the voters. There were 2,66,019 new voters who exercised their franchise in Bangalore's three seats," he said.

  
  

Govt to go ahead with formation of new taluks: Karnataka Minister

B D Narayankar reports

Bangalore, April 23 (PTI) Karnataka government has decided to go ahead with the proposal of the previous BJP regime on formation of new taluks, Revenue Minister V Srinivas Prasad said today. 

"We have not dropped the proposal made by the previousJagadish Shettar government on formation of new taluks. We will go ahead to form new taluks," he told reporters here. 

As the principal opposition, Congress had criticised the then BJP government's decision on carving out new taluks, terming it as part of the "election strategy" to woo the electorate during the May 2013 State Assembly elections. 

Government will also consider forming more new taluks apart from 43 new ones proposed by the Shettar government, Prasad said. 

"We have received several new proposals on carving out new taluks from the existing ones," he said. 

"The move is aimed at ensuring effective delivery of public services," he added. Karnataka has 220 taluks. 

Prasad however said before announcing new taluks the Siddaramaiah government wants to put in place basic facilities to taluk administration. 

Government would provide Rs 326 crore assistance to farmers for replanting horticultural crops hit by untimely rains and hailstorms early this month in the state, he said. 

"We have decided to give Rs 40,000 per hectare assistance to farmers, especially in Bagalkot and Bijapur areas, who have been hit by untimely rains and hailstorms. The amount is more than what the Maharashtra government has announced, Rs 25,000 per hectare," he said. 

Government would utilise the fund released from National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) to compensate farmers and others who had suffered crop and property loss, owing to hailstorm. 

The hailstorm had damaged rabi crops, including wheat, pulses, oilseeds and horticultural crops in over two lakh hectares in Yadagir, Gulbarga, Bijapur, Bagalkot, Raichur, Koppal, Tumkur and Chitradurga districts. 

Government had submitted a memorandum to a central study team, which toured the state in March and appealed to the Centre to calculate the financial assistance on the basis of the extent of loss, Prasad said.