The overall voter turnout in R.R. Nagar Assembly constituency on Tuesday was low, at 45.24%. However, there was a clear divide between the turnout in middle-class residential pockets and lower-income areas, with the latter being significantly higher. This has set off calculations among political parties on who is likely to have benefited.
The lack of enthusiasm among middle-class voters was compounded by COVID-19 fears and the fact that Tuesday was a workday. Several polling booths in the middle-class pockets of Nagarabhavi, R.R. Nagar, and Jnanabharati recorded less than 30% turnout by the end of the day. While the turnout in lower-income pockets such as Hegganahalli and Laggere remained lower than that in the general elections, it was significantly higher than the turnout in their posh residential counterparts. By afternoon, most of the polling booths in Laggere had long lines of women, maintaining social distance and waiting to cast their votes.
‘New normal’ voting
Voters had to compulsorily wear masks, were thermally screened, and given gloves before voting. Those who turned up without masks were fined by the police, but given masks and allowed to vote. A senior polling official said there were very few such cases. In some polling booths, the thermal scanners malfunctioned, raising concerns among the polling agents. A polling officer said, “I will know if there were any problems only a week later.”
Given that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress ran a pitched campaign, the police had anticipated trouble and were present in large numbers. “The polling went off peacefully, without any untoward incident,” said City Police Commissioner Kamal Pant.
There were a few verbal duels between workers of different parties, but none went out of hand. At a polling booth in Nagarabhavi, Congress workers took objection to a security person wearing a saffron mask and BJP agents sitting near the booth wearing saffron T-shirts. While the police got the security person to replace the mask, the BJP workers stood their ground, given that their T-shirts did not display the party flag or symbol.
In two instances, Janata Dal (Secular) and Congress workers alleged that the BJP was distributing money to voters and lodged complaints. While JD(S) candidate Krishnamurthy alleged that BJP workers were distributing money near a polling booth in Sumanahalli, Congress workers alleged that voters in Yeshwantpur ward were queueing up at the residence of former councillor G.K. Venkatesh to receive a “gift”. The BJP denied both allegations.
