First-time voters get free dosas in Bengaluru

bengaluru — In a bid to encourage first-time voters, an eatery here was giving away free dosas to those had voted in the Karnataka assembly election on Saturday.

The eatery at Nrupathunga Road here was also giving free coffee to other voters after seeing the inkmark on their fingers and their voters card.

Several of the first-time voters, aged 18-19, who comprise 1.542 million of Karnataka’s 50 million electorate, took selfies with ink mark on their index finger after coming out of the polling booths.

A few hospital patients here were seen reaching the voting booths in ambulances to cast their vote, while several senior citizens across the state braved the summer heat to stand in the queues in order to vote.

Also, three to-be brides in Belagavi, Madikeri and Dharwad districts headed down to the polling stations before going to their weddings.

Hundreds of villagers in Kalaburagi, 630km north of Bengaluru, boycotted the polls protesting the lack of basic facilities in the area.

Meanwhile, BJP candidate B. Sreeramulu on Saturday worshipped a cow and then visited temples before voting in the Karnataka Assembly election. Sreeramulu is contesting from two seats — Badami in Bagalkot and Molakalamuru (reserved) in Chitradurga.

“He (Sreeramulu) performed ‘gau puja’ at his residence in Ballari for nearly one hour and then visited two temples before casting his vote,” a Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. Sreeramulu is contesting against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Badami. The 47-year-old was the state’s health and family welfare and tourism minister from 2008-11.

Age did not deter the highly revered Shivakumar Mahaswamiji, senior seer of the Siddaganga Math at Tumakuru, who is said to be 111-years-old, from exercising his franchise in the Karnataka Assembly elections.

The seer came by car to the polling booth inside the Math, slowly walked inside and cast his vote.

The pontiff of the politically influential Lingayats has never given a miss to voting held in India since its Independence.— IANS, PTI