Polling peaceful in Yadgir district with 59.48% turnout

Yadgir district sees slow start in Lok Sabha elections, with peaceful polling and technical issues resolved efficiently.

The third phase of elections for the 18th Lok Sabha took off with a slow beginning on Tuesday in Yadgir district which falls under two Lok Sabha constituencies with three Assembly constituencies in Raichur and one in Kalaburagi (Gulbarga) Lok Sabha constituencies. As the day progressed, polling saw improvement. And, it was peaceful in both Yadgir and Raichur districts.

According to reports at 1 p.m., polling percentage was just 35.33. It increased to 49.04 by 3 p.m. And, it was 59.48 at 5 p.m. The break-up is as follows: Deodurg recorded 58.38%, Lingsugur 57.98%, Manvi 58.28%, Raichur Urban 54.53%, Raichur Rural 65.21%, Shahapur 57.68%, Surpur 66.72% and Yadgir 56.31%.

Due to technical problems with the voting machines, polling was stopped for a while at Anand Vidyalaya and Rani Janaki Devi School in Surpur, Kalmangi village of Sindhanur taluk. Polling resumed after the technical problems were resolved.

Meanwhile, people in the same area boycotted voting in support of their demand for a solution to drinking water problem. Voting resumed after officials addressed the problem.

The response was very poor in booth number 225 in Kakkera village of Surpur taluk due to the demise of a local resident, as people participated in the funeral.

In most parts of the district, voters were seen standing in line in front of schools where they had to vote. The elderly and mothers of newborns cast their votes with the help of volunteers and attendees.

Transgenders also voted in large numbers, according to Maya Naik, herself a transgender and a member of the SVEEP committee.