About 45 per cent polling recorded till 1500 hrs in Phase II

Bangalore, May 16 (UNI) An approximate 45 per cent polling was recorded till 1500 hrs in the second phase of elections for 66 assembly seats to the Karnataka Legislative Assembly being held today.

According to official sources, the polling was brisk in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, Uttara Kannada, Chickmagalur, Shimoga and Davanagere districts, while it was moderate in Raichur, Chitradurga, Bellary and Koppal.

No untoward incidents were reported from anywhere in the districts where polling was going on so far. The situation was normal in the naxal infested areas in Udupi, Chickmagalur and Shimoga districts where people came out to exercise their franchise despite a call by Maoist groups to boycott the poll.

Chief Electoral Officer, M N Vidyashankar told newspersons that except complaints of not finding names in voters list in few booths, the polling was by and large peaceful in all the districts, including the bordering Bellary district.

Villagers of Halavenkatapura in Raichur Rural Assembly constituency reportedly boycotted the polling in protest against non-development of their village by successive governments.

In the high profile Shikaripur Assembly segment, the home constituency of BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa, more than 300 people registered their protest as their names were found missing in the voters list, denying them participation in the poll. The polling was brisk in almost all the polling stations.

At Holehasanawadi booth in Shimoga Rural Assembly constituency, BJP activists accused the Polling Officer of allegedly canvassing for Congress. Senior officials rushed to the village and pacified them.

However, in a tragic incident a middle-aged woman standing in the queue to cast her vote collpased and died after reportedly developing giddiness at Nallur village in Karkala assembly constituency.

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