Mangaluru: As there is a direct fight between BJP candidate Nalin Kumar Kateel and Congress and JDS coalition candidate Mithun Rai in Mangaluru Lok Sabha constituency, people in large number were seen at the polling booths throughout the district on Thursday, April 18 from 7 am.
While Nalin Kumar Kateel cast his vote at Urwa St Aloysius English Medium School, Urwa after waiting in a long queue, Mithun Rai also did the same at Government Girls High school in Balmatta.
Mithun Rai helped an elderly person to alight from the car and assisted him to access into the polling booth in a wheelchair.
After casting his vote, Nalin Kumar Kateel told mediapersons that he had worked for around 26 different elections and contested in three Lok Sabha elections so far. “People voluntarily came towards polling booths and cast their votes standing in long queue. I have never seen these scenes in any elections so far. It shows they have faith in the Democratic process”, he said.
Dakshina Kannada district in-charge Minister U T Khader cast his vote at Boliar (ward No 1). Later, he went with supporters to Sajipanadu Gram Panchayat and examined the election process.
Former minister B Ramanath Rai cast his vote at Kallige village and informed the media that people would bless coalition candidate Mithun Rai as the sitting MP has done nothing during his two terms.
Complaints about voters’ name being deleted last minute
Former MLA J R Lobo after casting his votes in St Sebastian Primary School informed that he was not happy with the voters’ list and claimed that he had received many complaints about missing names in the voters’ list at the last minute. He urged that such unilateral deletion of the voters from the list should be probed. Meanwhile, sources also claimed that EVMs were spoilt at least three places.
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