Apr 29, 2024 06:42 AM IST
The EC directed re-polling in the village of April 29 after EVMs were destroyed on April 26, during a clash between two groups of villagers over lack of infrastructure
At least 33 people were arrested on Sunday for damaging government property and electronic voting machines (EVMs) in Indiganatta village in Hanur taluk during the Lok Sabha elections that was held in the state on April 26, the Chamarajanagar police said.
The move comes after the electronic voting machines (EVMs) were destroyed at a polling station in Indiganatta village in Chamarajanagar district on Friday during a clash between two groups of villagers over whether to vote or not in the Lok Sabha elections.
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Assistant returning officer B Mallikarjuna said: “With 528 voters registered in the polling stations of Indiganatta and Mendare villages, officials attempted to encourage tribal residents from Mendare to cast their votes, but Indiganatta villagers opposed it. During the clash, the EVM and furniture at the polling booth were destroyed.”
According to the district administration, the villagers had decided to boycott the polls citing lack of adequate infrastructure development. When police intervened to protect voters from the mild lathi charge, villagers vandalised and stoned police and election officers.
Three election officials, including Hanur tahsildar Raghavendra, sustained minor injuries when a group of villagers vandalised polling booth number 146 at Indiganatta, the police said. However, after assurances and efforts by the local officials, polling was underway. Chamarajanagar SP Padmini Sahoo said: “We have arrested 33 people in connection with clashes and damaging public property. We have registered three separate cases under IPC sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting) 147(rioting ) 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter a public servant from his duty), and 186 (obstructing a public servant in discharge of public functions) at Male Mahadeshwara police station, and an investigation is ongoing.”
Following the destruction of the EVMs, the district chief electoral officer submitted a comprehensive report to the central election commission on Saturday, detailing the extent of the damage and the urgent need for remedial measures. Later, the commission sanctioned re-polling, validating the severity of the situation. In a letter addressed to the Karnataka chief electoral officer, the Election Commission (EC) stated that on the basis of reports submitted by the returning officer and general observer for Chamrajnagar constituency and after taking all material circumstances into account, it declared that polling held at polling station number 146 under the Hanur assembly segment on Friday to be void.
“And appoints April 29, 2024 as the date and fixes the hours from 7 am to 6 pm for taking a fresh poll at the said polling station in accordance with the Commission’s instructions contained in Chapter 13 of Hand Book for Returning Officers, 2023,” the letter further stated.
“We have tightened police security in the Indiganatta booth with the deployment of Karnataka state reserve police (KSRP) and district armed reserve (DAR) platoons to ensure a peaceful re-polling on Monday,” Padmini Sahoo added.
