Life & death: Polling day witnesses contrasting incidents in Karnataka

The voting day for Karnataka Assembly elections presented a sharp contrast where birth and death happened in polling booths on Wednesday.

The booths also witnessed brides and bridegrooms voting for their public representative before tying the nuptial knot with their chosen ones.

According to information received, a woman delivered a baby boy soon after casting her vote at Korlagundi village in Kurugodu Taluk of Ballari district.

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A medical team along with some other women present at the booth made the arrangements and helped the woman, who developed pain, go into labour. "Without much suffering, she delivered a baby boy at the polling station. The entire polling booth burst into joy," an official said.

At Chikkole village in Belur Taluk of Hassan district, 49-year-old Jayanna died of heart attack soon after casting his vote. In another incident, Paravva Sidnal (70) died even before casting her vote at Yarajharvi village in Belagavi district.

At a village near Hangal town in Haveri district, the entire village initially refrained from voting as they were mourning the demise of an ox, which people used to worship. In keeping with their age-old tradition, the villagers used to decorate it during Deepavali and made it run through a crowded track.

The villagers had an emotional bonding with the ‘Hori’, the ox. After its death, the entire village went into mourning and got themselves busy with conducting its last rites.

When Election officials learnt about it, they rushed to the village and appealed to the people to do their duty towards democracy. Later, people went to the polling station in the evening and cast their votes.

An inspiring story came from Bengaluru, where a kidney ailment patient on dialysis Kulashekar Ramanujan on a stretcher reached the polling booth and exercised his franchise.

There were brides and bridegrooms in the queue who voted in multiple booths.

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Sahil Dhariwal (26), preferred casting his vote ahead of his marriage in Bengaluru.

"I am voting for the first time. Last time I could not vote because of certain reasons. This time I made a point not to miss this opportunity," Dhariwal said.

At Periyapatna in Mysuru district, a couple queued up for voting soon after they tied the nuptial knot.