E-Paper
Stories of faith, kindness and determination emerge during Karnataka polls
From netas performing cow worship to determining direction of EVMs; old, disabled and transgenders waiting in queues to vote; and villagers opening their homes to help election staff, Karnataka elections displayed the amusing and heartwarming sides of people.
From netas performing cow worship to determining direction of EVMs; old, disabled and transgenders waiting in queues to vote; and villagers opening their homes to help election staff, Karnataka elections displayed the amusing and heartwarming sides of people.
Vaastu, prayers and other beliefs
While most candidates, including chief minister Siddaramaiah, Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) chief minister aspirant BS Yeddyurappa and Janata Dal (Secular)’s HD Kumaraswamy visited temples before casting their votes, others were more particular.
The wife of GT Deve Gowda, the JD(S) candidate of Chamundeshwari who is contesting against the CM, insisted on the direction and place of the electronic voting machine (EVM) being changed for better ‘vaastu.’
The party disguised the complaint as lack of privacy with the current positioning of the voting machine; the authorities obliged.
BS Sriramulu who is the only BJP candidate fighting from two seats, fed a cow before casting his vote.
Suresh Babu, the JD(S) MLA from Chikknayakanahalli in Tumkur, who is seeking re-election, fed a monkey before casting his vote as Saturdays are considered auspicious for the monkey god Hanuman, who is believed to be from Karnataka.
Stories galore
As Bengaluru voted, there was no shortage of heartwarming stories of voters doing their utmost to exercise their right. A person in Shahpur chose to cast his vote before performing the final rites of his mother, who had passed away in the morning.
A bride and groom in Mangaluru chose to cast their vote in wedding finery before heading to church to get married. Several specially-abled people and even a 97-year-old chose to exercise their franchise.
Transgenders too stood in queues to cast their votes. The 111-year-old pontiff of Siddaganga Mutt, one of the revered Lingayat monasteries, voted. As did cricketers Rahul Dravid and Anil Kumble.
Spare a thought for officials
For the thousands of government officials, security personnel and administrative staff, ensuring that this festival of democracy goes off smoothly is a challenge.
While one may say that they are only doing their duty, a majority of the staff is made up of low- to middle-rung government officials who travel to unfamiliar places, get minimal facilities and do a difficult job under trying circumstances.
Stories of villagers opening their homes to help the staff, especially the women, are many.
With voting commencing at 7 am and ending at 6 pm, the government and security staff have to subsequently ensure that electronic voting machines (EVMs) are safely sealed and transported to a strongroom where they will be under round-the-clock guard ahead of counting day on May 15.
