Even though the polling ended peacefully, barring a few stray incidents of violence, the polling management was largely in a state of disorder and, thus, made voters unhappy in Ganjam district on Thursday.
While the percentage of polling was recorded between 40 to 45 per cent till afternoon, a large number of voters turned up to the booths in the evening taking advantage of the cloudy weather. The enthusiasm among the young and the first-time voters seemed to be all time high.
But what made people worry is the weak poll management. Hundreds of voters were deprived of voting as their names were found missing in the voters’ list. Besides, voters had to stand in queues for hours to exercise their franchise in the sun. There was no provision of cold drinking water on behalf of the Election Commission.
Voters like Durga Madhav Behera and Smrutiranjan Mahallik could not understand how their name went missing from the voter’s list though they had castvotes in the last BrahmapurMunicipalCorporation (BMC) elections.
Barring flying squads, the security arrangements inside all the polling booths were in a State of mess as the Election authority had provided only one security personnel to each booth instead of two. While one gate was manned by security personnel, trespassers were found entering freely through the other gate.
The concerned Presiding Officers were found helpless. Similarly, hundreds of workers of different political parties, particularly more of the ruling BJD, were found canvassing the voters in their favour within a radius of 100 meters thus flouting election norms. The flying squad detained two ruling BJD Corporators who were indulged in such activities.
Similarly, complaints started pouring about the malfunctioning of EVMs from different parts of the city. Around 50-60 voters returned home as the EVM didn’t work in booths 10 and 62. The batteries of the EVMs were not properly charged in several booths (18, 40, 31, and so on) in and around Brahmapur.
Second Polling Officer AK Maharana in booth 105 was found sleeping with a fever but there was none to lift him to hospital or give him treatment there. Some booths, (46, 87 and so on), had no security personnel when this correspondent visited. Similarly, the security man allotted at booth 18 was found not wearing uniform and unable to recognize the trespassers. He was giving free entry to everyone unopposed.
According to information available, there was a scuffle between the police and the agents in booth 180 of Khandadeuli Village under Chatrapur AC over non-availability of drinking water.
Five persons were reportedly injured, including an agent, as the police resorted to lathicharge. Similarly, Police resorted to lathicharge at various booths in Bhanjanagar and Surada Assembly constituencies in which more than ten persons were reportedly injured.
Allegations of rigging have also come to the notice. The BJP candidate from Polasara reportedly alleged that there was a rigging of votes in booth 222 in village Karatalli and in booth 176 at lakshanpalli.