Violence mars polling in Bangalore Rural Dist.

By Our Staff Reporter

BANGALORE, JUNE 2. Many persons were injured and a few vehicles damaged in the violence that broke out during the zilla and taluk panchayat elections in the politically-sensitive Hoskote taluk in Bangalore Rural District today.

After the violent incidents, one person, Muniraju (28), was stabbed to death by three persons near a polling booth at Siddanahalli. However, the Director-General and Inspector General of Police, Mr. C.Dinakar, told The Hindu that it was not a poll- related incident.

Accusing each other of proxy voting and rigging the polls, the supporters of the Congress(I) and the Janata Dal(United) clashed at Shankanipura, Magabola, Jadagenahalli, Siddanahalli, Giddanahalli, Bylanarasapura and other villages.

Polling was stopped in two polling stations -- No. 114 (Siddanahalli) and No. 113 (Giddanahalli). Police said that a woman entered the polling booth at Siddanahalli around 9.20 a.m., along with the Congress(I) candidate for Nandagudi Zilla Panchayat seat, Ms. Lakshmamma, and poured a bottle of ink into the ballot box. A group of people who barged into the polling station snatched counterfoils of the ballot papers from the polling officials.

In the clash between the Congress(I) and the Janata Dal(U) workers that followed, two cars, including one in which Ms. Lakshmamma had come, two vans and a matador were damaged. Four persons were attacked with sharp weapons during the clash.

Police seized three vehicles and arrested 35 persons who were armed with lethal weapons and soda bottles. The Nandagudi police have registered a case.

Nearly 30 persons armed with lethal weapons entered the polling booth at Giddanahalli and snatched ballot papers from the polling officers. After stamping the ballot papers, they put them into the box and manhandled the polling staff. The women officers were threatened with dire consequences, according to the polling officials at Nandagudi.

Following the incident, the polling officers locked the polling station and went to the Nandagudi police station to file a complaint. Re-polling will be held at these two booths on June 5.

At Shankanipura, at least six persons, who were attacked with choppers and clubs, were injured. More than 300 supporters of the two rival parties, armed with clubs, had blocked the roads and were accusing the police of favouring their opponents.

A Congress(I) supporter's house at Shankanipura was ransacked and furniture set afire. According to witnesses, some persons took away gold ornaments from the house. Four persons have been arrested in connection with the incident. The doors of the house of a Janata Dal(U) worker were broken and a scooter was damaged.

At Magabola, a murder accused from Vemagal in Kolar District attacked two persons with a knife when he was caught casting proxy votes. Two others were injured in the clash that followed. The miscreants chopped off the fingers of a youth. Fifteen persons have been arrested in this connection.

A resident of Ramamurthynagar in Bangalore who had come to Jidaganhalli to cast proxy votes was hit on the head with clubs by a group of youth.

Police arrested 32 persons, all residents of Bangalore, who had come to Byalanarasapura to cast proxy votes.

Polling was peaceful in rest of the taluk where the security had been tightened. The Inspector-General of Police (Central Range), Mr. N.Achut Rao, the Superintendent of Police, Bangalore Rural District, Mr. S.Ramakrishna, and the Additional Superintendent of Police, Mr. Shiva Kumar, camped at Hoskote.

According to Mr. G.S.Narayana Swamy, Deputy Commissioner, Bangalore Rural District, the police personnel posted at the polling booths at Siddanahalli and Giddanahalli were not sufficient to control the mob.

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