A 23 yr old woman gave birth to a baby in a polling booth in Kurlagindi village of Ballari. Female officials and women voters helped to deliver the baby.
Bengaluru/New Delhi: A 23-year-old woman gave birth to a baby in a polling booth of Kurlagindi village of Ballari, where female officials and women voters helped to deliver the baby. Taking note of the incident, the Election Commission of India (ECI) pointed out that as part of the Commission’s initiative to provide a comfortable experience to women voters, 996 All-Women Managed Polling Stations were set up which had all women polling staff including women security personnel.
Nearly 65.69% voting was reported from across 224 Assembly Constituencies spread over 58,545 polling stations (including auxiliary PS), in Karnataka till 5 pm today. Final figures of the voters’ turnout will be known by tomorrow after scrutiny of form 17A, the ECI stated. It informed that there were no reports of re-poll necessitated in any of the polling stations as yet, and that the voting was “smooth, free, fair, inclusive and accessible”. It further mentioned that webcasting facility was available in over 30,000 polling stations.
For the first time, Home voting facility was provided for octogenarian and Persons with Disability (PwD) voters with benchmark disability. Form 12 D was filled by 80,250 senior citizen (80years+) voters; 19,279 PwDs and 15,328 essential service personnel in Karnataka. Of these, a total of 94,931 senior citizens and PwDs cast their vote from home. Transgender voters too participated casting their vote.
The Commission said all facilitation were provided at the polling stations including assured minimum facilities like ramps, drinking water, toilets, volunteers and wheelchairs.
As part of ECI initiative to inspire young voters to participate in the festival of democracy, 286 polling stations set up were managed by the youngest available staff. There were over 11.71 lakh first time voters (18-19) registered in the state.
Polling was also held today 04-Jalandhar (Scheduled Caste) Parliamentary Constituency of Punjab, 07-Jharsuguda Assembly Constituency of Odisha, 395- Chhanbey (SC) Assembly Constituency of Uttar Pradesh to fill the vacancies due to death of sitting candidates; 34-Suar Assembly Constituency of Uttar Pradesh due to disqualification of sitting candidate and 1 adjourned poll in 23-Sohiong(Scheduled Tribe) Assembly Constituency of Meghalaya due to death of contesting candidate.
Voting percentages of 50.27% for Jalandhar; 68.12% from Jharsuguda; 39.51% from Chhanbey (SC) ; 41.78% from Suar and 91.39% from Sohiong(ST) was reported by 5pm. The Commission said enthusiastic voter turnout was reported in byelections also with Sohiong(ST) reporting 91.39% by 5 pm today.
– global bihari bureau
