6 DECCAN HERALD

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

Assembly Elections 2013

Political marches choke City roads

Auspicious day for candidates, horrible time for commuters
BANGALORE: Parts of the City were chock-a-block with vehicles and people as many candidates came with large numbers of their supporters on an auspicious Monday to file their nominations for the May 5 Assembly elections.

With several roads in the 28 constituencies in Bangalore closed for traffic to make way for the burgeoning crowds of supporters accompanying their candidates to the returning officers (RO) office at the local BBMP office, commuters and office-goers were helplessly stranded on the roads for hours in the scorching sun. Traffic cops, on their part, had not issued any advisory to road users. While some people gathered under the shade of trees to shield themselves from the scorching sun, others braved the heat and waved their party flags to announce the arrival or departure of their leaders from their designated locations. Most offices and shops were shut in and around the RO offices, except for cool drinks and ice cream shops which did brisk business. On Goodshed Road, traffic almost came to a halt with the police numbering over 300 (including a platoon of paramilitary force) struggling to keep at bay the crowds that accompanied their leaders to file their nominations at Gandhinagar and Chamarajpet. The restriction of crowds up to 100 metres around any returning officers

office boomeranged on the cops as they had to not only toil hard to clear traffic, but were also at the receiving end of the public and the followers of party leaders on the road connecting Kempegowda bus stand and the City Railway Station on one side and Mysore Road on the other. Mahesh, a City-based advocate who was passing by, said: Why cant these returning offices be set up in one place.

Why cant they have it at the Corporation head office? Cant these leaders (contesters) go to the BBMP office at least once in five years? They can also have online nomination filing. Another two-wheeler rider Mallikarjuna, seconding Maheshs suggestion, said, That could have been a better option. Apart from traffic congestion, it would have also helped avoid assembly of people in large numbers, he said.

In Bommanahalli, police had to resort to mild caning after supporters of BJP candidate Satish Reddy tried to barge into the restricted area of 100 metres at the RO office. The situation eased for a few minutes, but again, Congress candidate Nagabhushana, in a show of strength, brought with him a large group of his supporters. The Outer Ring Road stretch in Rajarajeshwari Nagar constituency was choked

from early Monday morning till afternoon as Congress candidate Hanumantharayappa took out a jatha to file his nomination. Hundreds of supporters on motorbikes, vans and maxi cabs followed their leader to the BBMP zonal office in Rajarajeshwari Nagar. Vehicle users passing through Mallathalli, Nagarabhavi, Ullal Cross and Rajarajeshwarinagar bore the brunt of the traffic mess.

In Rajajinagar, however, traffic flow along Dr Rajkumar Road was quite smooth as party workers were restricted to the bylanes where vehicles were blocked by the police and diverted to parallel roads. Supporters of KJP candidate Shobha Karandlaje were found in large numbers. After her departure, hundreds of Congress party workers followed their leader Manjula Naidu.
DH News Service

Northeasterners cold to enrolling in voters list

Ramzauva Chhakchhuak BANGALORE: The city is home to a sizeable population of two lakh to 2.5 lakh Northeasteners. But only a quarter of the community have enrolled themselves to vote here, due to reasons ranging from lack of awareness to lack of interest. The total population from Nagaland, for example, is roughly between 15,000 and 20,000. However, only a dismal 10 per cent have enrolled themselves to vote, according to Vezokho Resu, president of the Naga Students Union, Bangalore. There is a genuine lack of awareness about voting and its procedures that needs to be seriously addressed among the Nagas in the city, he said. But authorities say reluctance and lack of interest among members of the community is the main reason for low enrolment. There were enrolment drives in areas like Ejipura and BTM Layout, specifically for members of the community. A large number of them reside in these areas. However, many of them refused to get enrolled, citing that they would prefer voting in their home states, said Dr R Vishal, District Assistant Electoral Officer of the BBMP. Community leaders, however, argue that the reluctance to get enrolled is just one of the few reasons for low enrolment. In fact, a number of people are genuinely interested in exercising their franchise, but are turned away by the non-cooperative attitude of the authorities, says Lun Singson, General Secretary of the North East Welfare Association of Karnataka. I have been living here for eight years now. I have tried getting enrolled more than thrice. However, I do not know the status of the forms I submitted. I faced a number of problems like the laxity among officials and our inability to communicate to each other. Being helpless myself, there is very little I can do to help others, he said.

Supporters assemble in large numbers as M Satish Reddy (BJP) filed his nominations from Bommanahalli constituency.

TRAFFIC NIGHTMARE: Political party workers throng the roads at several places as their leaders led nominations on Monday. DH PHOTOS

There are a total of 10,000 to 15,000 members from Manipur, but their enrolment in the voters list is just around 10 per cent. There are nearly 2,000 to 3,000 people from Mizoram in Bangalore. But, the enrolment is much lesser than even one per cent, said Renee Ralte, advisor to the Bangalore Mizo Association. People are gradually waking up to the fact that there is a need to vote and seek political representation, especially in the light of the exodus from the city of the Northeastern people, said Vivekananda Rajkumar of the Meitei Manipuri Association. In fact, the start has already been made. Assam has the highest representation from the region in the city, with a population of one lakh plus. Of late, the community has seen a high rate of enrolment. Almost 45 to 50 per cent of the Assamese have enrolled themselves. This decent percentage is only a recent phenomenon, said Shimanta Sharma, Chief Advisor of the Assam Society of Bangalore. What the rule says According to Dr R Vishal, citizens who have resided in the city for a minimum of six months can enrol themselves to vote. It involves the concerned person deleting his/her name from the voters list in his/her home state and applying for addition to the voter's list here. It would have normally taken only 10 days during the enrolment drive. At any other time, it takes a month or more, he said. During elections, authorities are extra careful and scrutinise every application for genuineness, so that no voter gets maliciously deleted, Vishal said.
DH News Service

Residency Road witnessed chock-a-block traffic as JD(S) and Congress took out rallies.

30 companies of central forces for poll duty in Blore

BANGALORE: Seven companies of Central paramilitary force, including the elite Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), arrived in the City on Monday evening to ensure law and order during the coming elections.

According to City Police Commissioner Raghavendra H Auradkar, a total of 30 companies will be deployed across the City by election time. The units, following guidelines, established by the Election Commission, will be deployed in sensi-

tive and hypersensitive areas. The paramilitary commanders have already been briefed on the law and order situation in Bangalore by the local police, Auradkar said. Paramilitary officers have also been informed about the activities of anti-social elements, and in all, some 2,500 booths have been identified as being hypersensitive, with another 2,000 being marked as sensitive out of a total of 7,258 polling booths in the City. According to Auradkar, ad-

ditional security will be made available in all sensitive areas. The City police have identified a further 236 areas as vulnerable where poor and weaker sections of society live, he said and added that a heavy security presence can be expected in these places. Six teams, comprising officials from the police, the Election Commission and other related departments, have been formed. They will be headed by an executive magistrate to monitor code of conduct viola-

tions. More than 100 excise cases have been registered by police, Auradkar said. He said the Election Commission had also instructed the City police to serve all pending warrants. As of today, the City police had executed almost 70 per cent of the pending warrants, he said. Crucial post vacant No appointment has been made to the post of Additional Commissioner (Law & order), City police, a critically impor-

tant post, especially during poll season. The position has been vacant for four days. The previous Additional Commissioner, Alok Kumar, was transferred on the recommendations of the Police Establishment Board (PEB). In his place, PEB has recommended the name of Bhaskar Rao. However, Raos name still remains to be cleared by the Election Commission. Sources claimed that M A Saleem, the Additional Commissioner (Traffic & Security),

has been offered the post in addition to his existing responsibilities. He declined, claiming that he had too much work in the City during poll season, they said. Prashanth Kumar Thakur, Additional Commissioner (Administration), is also eligible to take on the extra role. If there isnt a replacement shortly, or if other senior officers refuse the post, the burden may fall on City police commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar himself, sources said.
DH News Service

Comics Act tough against anti-socials, Blondie EC tells State

NEW DELHI: To ensure free

Crossword Challenge 9044

CRYPTIC

and fair elections to the State Assembly, Election Commission of India has directed the Karnataka police to take stern action against all anti-social elements and execute pending court warrants. To prevent transportation of liquor and money from neighbouring states, the Commission has directed the state to constitute additional check posts at inter-state and interdistrict borders. The Commission also suggested the police to draw the services of home guards from neighbouring states for poll duty. Director General and Inspector General of Police Lalrokhuma Pachau told Deccan Herald: So far, 200 checkposts have been set up at different places to keep a 24-hour watch on transportation of money, liquor and other materials which are used to induce voters. If required, additional checkposts will be set up. Pachau, who was here to attend a conference, said that police have started rounding up rowdies and executing pending court warrants in both bailable and non-bailable cases. To check flow of liquor and money through sea routes from Goa and Kerala, vigil has been heightened in coastal districts. The State police also held meetings with their counterparts from the neighbouring states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Maharashtra and Goa to prevent entry of anti-social elements to Karnataka during polls. Central police forces have started arriving in the State and, they will be deployed as per the requirement, he said.
DH News Service

Popeye

Hagar The Horrible

Moose And Molly

ACROSS 4 Respiratory disorder (6) 7 Passenger plane (8) 8 Tranquil (6) 10 Thick (5) 13 Traffic marker (4) 14 Pudding ingredient (4) 15 Bombast (4) 16 Tasselled cap (3) 17 Impartial (4) 19 Off (4) 21 Vicious person (9) 23 Monetary

EASY DOWN unit (4) 24 Summon (4) 1 Touches down (5) 26 Droop (3) 2 Incorrect (5) 27 Boast (4) 29 Therefore (4) 3 Sagacious (4) 32 Prejudice (4) 4 Illegal burning 33 Shade of blue (5) 5 Wheel sur(5) round (4) 34 Flaw (6) 6 Primate (6) 35 Hugs (8) 9 Necessitate (6) 36 Crossbreed 11 Hearing or(6) gan (3) 12 As yet (2,3) 13 Capital of Venezuela (7) 15 Tease (3) 16 Football supporter (3)

18 Foreign language (6) 20 Ballroom dance (5) 21 Large (3) 22 Torn cloth (3) 23 In recent times (6) 25 Animal's coat (3) 28 Evaluated (5) 30 Rabbit's cage (5) 31 Perceive (5) 32 Alcoholic drink (4) 33 Bushy hairstyle (4)

ACROSS 4 Wild chants heard but briefly (6) 7 Superior piece of boxing? (8) 8 Cookers, perhaps, or stairs (6) 10 The fashionable sound (5) 13 A positive sign (4) 14 Rubbish may be shot here (4) 15 Become tall and seedy (4) 16 Be noted as the busy type (3) 17 Deliveries done with? (4) 19 Reputed to be unhappy touring India (4) 21 Indicates the fielder's in a deeper position (6,3) 23 Indiscreet record? (4) 24 Called deranged, indeed! (4) 26 Bathe with a girl on the quiet (3) 27 Loathsome fellow with a warty skin (4) 29 Give me back the thing in question (4) 32 He's in jug! (4) 33 Liable to be flat on one's face (5) 34 Back out of some business (6) 35 As sung when the birds are on key? (4,4) 36 To attack by air may be faster (6)

DOWN 1 Explode or shatter outright (5) 2 Dad turns up with his little pest! (5) 3 Roguish as a duke, for instance? (4) 4 Point to a high seat (5) 5 Pals in high places (4) 6 Manned by crude sounding sailors (6) 9 Assumes the pun is about a drunken sot (4,2) 11 Oriental vessel acceptable to the West (3) 12 Frightens the cat (5) 13 Show how to make a strong wine light (7) 15 Little man with bigheaded ways (3) 16 Just a little exorbitant? (3) 18 He presumably has winning ways (6) 20 Argue irrationally, having a screwy point (5) 21 Timely sound, maybe followed by a squeak (3) 22 Dashed halfway back when dejected (3) 23 Entertain a bird at the West End (6) 25 Combination container? (3) 28 Fat for which wild bees have a love (5) 30 Though having the power, gets nothing right on test (5) 31 Devon runner known to have a nice mouth (5) 32 She could be a nit (4) 33 Contrapuntal piece that'll give you a kick (4)
EASY ACROSS: 1, Nevada 7, Gendarme 8, Hare 10, Abacus 11, Fiasco 14, Lie 16, Ripen 17, Sofa 19, Wafer 21, Rebus 22, Titan 23, Sash 26, Venus 28, Mat 29, Origin 30, Saloon 31, Trap 32, Antelope 33, Poison. DOWN: 1, Nomads 2, Acacia 3, Ages 4, Admires 5, Grasp 6, Heron 8, Half 9, Rue 12, Air 13, Cells 15, Cabal 18, Offer 19, Wet 20, Fun 21, Risible 22, Tug 23, Salami 24, Atop 25, Hang on 26, Vocal 27, Nifty 28, Mar 30, Step.

SOLUTIONS TO CROSSWORD 9043

CRYPTIC ACROSS: 1, Cha-m-ps 7, Pen-elope 8, Mike 10, Traded 11, Po-land 14, Gey 16, Va.-Les 17, Spin 19, Tamed 21, No-t-ed 22, Comet 23, Walk 26, Deg-AS 28, Had 29, Iron-Ed 30, G-olden 31, Owls 32, Charades 33, Hither (Green). DOWN: 1, Cur-tis 2, Maiden 3, Sped 4, Beloved 5, Fo-C-al 6, Heads 8, Magi 9, Key 12, Lad 13, Nevil 15, Water 18, Pager 19, Tom 20, Met 21, No-SE-gay 22, Can 23, W-all-et 24, Adds 25, Kinder 26, D-itch 27, Go-tat 28, How 30, Gosh.

Peanuts