Polling begins peacefully in Chamundeshwari

Mysore, Dec 4 (UNI) Polling began peacefully today in the Chamundeshwari assembly segment in which the JDS-BJP combine and the Congress are locked in a tough fight.

Polling began on a sedate note in the morning and slowly picked up. An estimated 15 to 20 per cent voting was recorded in the 346 polling booths.

In all, 14 wards under the city corporation and 250-odd villages outside the city limits come under the constitutency. The by-poll was necessitated after Former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah resigned from the Janata Dal(S) to join the Congress.

While Mr Siddaramaiah is the official candidate of the Congress, Mr Shivabasappa is the JD(S) nominee in the assembly election.

Besides, there are 12 other candidates including those from the JD(S) and the Samajwadi Party.

Mr Siddaramaiah cast his vote at his native Siddaramana Hundi village in the morning.

Even though prohibitory orders were clamped in the entire segment, voting remained peaceful in the constituency with untoward incident reported from any part, police said.

The Election Commission, which had taken elaborate measures to ensure peaceful polling, had asked voters to carry only their identity cards and the polling agents just a copy of the voters list.

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