Polling ends for 2 DK-Udupi MLC seats, counting on Dec 30

Polling ends for 2 DK-Udupi MLC seats, counting on Dec 30

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, 27 December 2015: Polling ended in elections for two members of legislative council from local bodies constituency of Dakshina Kannada – Udupi on Sunday, Dec 27. 6533 out of 6560 voters casted their votes for 8 candidates, registering a percentage of 99.59 votes.

Most of the polling stations recorded 100% polling in MLC election by 2pm. In Dakshina Kannada areawise turnout of voters are, 99.58 per cent votes with 1198 voters in Mangaluru, 99.68 votes with 926 votes in Bantwal, 99.72 per cent votes with 702 voters in Belthangady, 651 and 361 voters in Puttur and Sullia takes, thereby registering 100 per cent votes. In Udupi, turnout of voters was 99.71 per cent with 1016 members casting their votes, 98.96 per cent votes with 1016 voters in Udupi taluk, 99.63 per cent votes with 537 voters in Karkala cast their votes.

 

 

There are eight candidates including K Prathapchandra Shetty (Congress), Kota Shrinivasa Poojary (BJP), S Prakash Shetty, Praveenchandra Jain (JDS), Alphons Pranco, Ismail Doddamane, K Jayaprakash Hegde and K Harikrishna Bantwal (independent). Voters will have to elect two candidates in the twin constituency by marking their preferential votes in the ballot paper.

BJP and Congress fielded one each candidates and six others in the fray including one Janatha Dal Secular nominee and two Congress rebels. Among the two congress rebels Jayaprakash Hegde certainly ditched all the efforts of congress leaders of twin districts in fight for saving the face of the party in this election.

The ugly personal vendetta politics of some congress leaders which led to re-nomination of alleged inactive sitting MLC and four time MLA  Pratapchandra Shetty has become costlier to bigwigs of the party in the districts.

The party insiders say it was the game plan of Udupi trio Vinay Kumar Sorake, Oscar Fernandis and and Gopala Poojary to give another chance to Shetty in a bid to avert another Billawa – Harish Kumar of Belthangdy - entering electoral politics in the Coastal Karnataka and also keeping an overenthusiastic pro-people political activist Hegde at bay.

But, for the first time congress party witnessed a revolt of sorts with more than four persons filling nomination protesting selection of candidate and giving chance to same persons several times in Coastal Karnataka.

Now, senior leaders including ministers have lost hope of winning of official congress in the first round of counting. Political observers opine that congress may not have chance in second round of counting as only BJP candidate’s second votes only considered and there is no chance of vote for congress in the BJP ballot papers.

The counting of votes will take place on Wednesday December 30.