1. Home
  2. Karnataka bans mobile phones inside polling booths

Karnataka bans mobile phones inside polling booths

Agencies
April 14, 2019

Bengaluru, Apr 14: Electorate in Karnataka will not be allowed to carry smart-phones or mobile phones inside the polling booth while going to vote to prevent them from taking selfies or recording videos, an official said on Sunday.

"The Model Code of Conduct (MCC) prevents voters from carrying mobile phones or smart-phones and cameras inside the polling booth. In fact, no voter will be allowed to take his/her cellphone within 100 metres radius of the booth.

"They will have to leave it at home or deposit it with the police personnel before entering the booth," Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar told media.

Another poll official admitted that though the MCC has had the ban provision since 2008, it was not enforced strictly during the previous elections for reasons such as manpower shortage and absence of internet-connected smart-phones with a camera.

"The provision to not allow mobile phones or smart-phones inside the booth was observed more in breach in the past, as not many voters had them a decade or five years ago or carried them while going to vote," recalled senior poll official Surya Sen.

With most urban voters now using camera-wielding smart-phones, during the May 2018 Assembly elections many were caught taking selfies while casting their vote or making videos inside the booth as a proof of exercising their franchise.

"This year, the security personnel have been instructed to prevent voters from carrying a mobile or a smartphone inside the booth," said Kumar.

"If the security personnel are busy, the voters can leave their devices with party agents who sit outside the booths with the voter lists," Kumar added.

Polling officials, security personnel and others manning booths, including presiding officers, their assistants and agents of candidates, however, will be allowed to carry and use smart-phones.

Karnataka has 5.11 crore electorate, including 2.6 crore male and 2.5-crore female voters and 4,661 others.

The number of polling booths in 28 seats across the state has increased 7 per cent from 54,265 in the 2014 elections to 58,186 this year.

The state's 14 Lok Sabha constituencies in the central and southern regions go to polls on April 18, while the remaining 14 parliamentary seats cast their vote on April 23.

The 14 constituencies polling in the first phase are Udupi-Chikmagalur, Hassan, Dakshina Kannada, Chitradurga (SC), Tumkur, Mandya, Mysore, Chamarajnagar (SC), Bangalore Rural, Bangalore North, Bangalore Central, Bangalore South, Chikkaballapur and Kolar (SC).

Those in the second phase are Chikkodi, Belgaum, Bagalkot, Bijapur (SC), Gulbarga (SC), Raichur (ST), Bidar, Koppal, Bellary (ST), Haveri, Dharwad, Uttara Kannada, Davanagere and Shimoga. The votes will be counted on May 23.

Comments

MR
 - 
Monday, 15 Apr 2019

Mobile phones should be jammed on the day of election so people can vote in peace.

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 10,2020

Belagavi, Feb 10: In comments that raised eyebrows, Ramesh Jarkiholi, who quit the Congress and joined the BJP and who took oath as minister last week, said his brother Satish has a bright future. The two siblings have rarely seen eye-to-eye — at least in public — in recent times.

He also trained his gun on Congress leader DK Shivakumar, sarcastically thanking the Congress MLA for his meteoric rise. “Had Shivakumar not stood against me, I would not have emerged as a tall leader in the state. I must thank him,” Ramesh said.

The Gokak MLA said Satish of the Congress, the most politically-savvy of the five Jarkiholi siblings, would reach “the top” in his political career. However, he advised him “to inculcate patience and adopt strategies”. “He should make his moves at the right time as timing is very important in politics,” Ramesh said.

He also urged Satish to keep his supporters happy. “Many of his followers are disappointed with his leadership because he does not extend a helping hand to his own people. In the present political climate, people do not endorse a leader who only talks about Buddha and Basava,” Ramesh said.

Ramesh took a dig at Lakan, the youngest sibling, saying, “Lakan speaks ill about me most of the time. He does not understand much. But we brothers are one when it comes to family. We are united when it comes to family matters, but when it comes to politics, we are at loggerheads.”

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
August 4,2020

Bengaluru, Aug 4: The heath condition of Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa who had tested positive for Covid-19 continues to be stable and he is currently asymptomatic, hospital source said.

Congress leader and former chief minister Siddaramaiah who too has tested positive for Covid-19, is suffering from high fever and is currently receiving treatment. He has been admitted at the Manipal hospital in Bengaluru.

"I request all those who had come in contact with me to check out for symptoms and to quarantine themselves," Siddaramaiah had said in a tweet.

Yediyurappa, is in the same hospital for treatment along with his daughter B Y Padmavati, who too tested positive for the virus on Monday.

Yediyurappa on Sunday night (2 August) had tweeted that, "I have tested positive for coronavirus. Whilst I am fine, I am being hospitalised as a precaution on the recommendation of doctors. I request those who have come in contact with me recently to be observant and exercise self quarantine.”

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
coastaldigest.com news network
July 31,2020

Mangaluru, Jul 31: Muslims across coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada today observed Eid al Adha following the safety guidelines issued by the government amidst covid-19 pandemic. 

While coastal Karnataka is celebrating the festival of sacrifice today, it will be observed in other parts of Karnataka and country tomorrow. 

Congregational Eid prayers were held in many mosques while ensuring physical distancing norms. Only 50 devotees were allowed in mosques. Children below 10 years of age and elders above 60 years of age weren’t allowed. 

Eidgahs in the region wore a deserted look as the government has temporarily prohibited prayers in the open grounds. The Eidgah at Lighthouse Hill in Mangaluru, which usually witnessed huge crowd during Eid celebrations, was also closed this time. 

As expected, the celebration this time was a low key thanks to the restrictions placed in tune with the threat of coronavirus infection.

Prayers were held in Kudroli’s Nadupalli and Bundar’s Zeenat Bakhsh Central mosque. All those who entered mosque were wearing masks. 

In Udupi city, Eid prayers were held at Jamia Masjid and other mosques with limited number of devotees. In Bhatkal took some of the mosques hosted Eid prayers with all precautionary measures.

Comments

Add new comment

About text formats
  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.