Bengaluru: The villagers of Masabinala in Vijayapura District stopped a poll duty vehicle carrying electronic voting machines (EVMs), manhandled an officer and damaged control and ballot units on May 10 following which 23 people were arrested, states the Election Commission.
The villagers stopped a Section Officer’s vehicle which was carrying reserved EVMs for the Assembly elections and damaged two control and ballot units each and three VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail), the EC added.
Sector Officer was manhandled and 23 people were arrested, informed the EC adding that the top District Officials rushed to the village, which comes under Basavana Bagewadi Assembly segment.
According to Police sources, the villagers’ action came after rumours that officials were changing the EVMs and VVPATs.
Meanwhile, in Padmanabhanagara Constituency here, some youth armed with sticks assaulted their political rivals in a polling booth at Papaiah Garden. They went on a rampage in which a few women standing in queue to vote sustained injuries, the sources said.
In another incident at Sanjeevarayanakote in Ballari District, some Congress and the BJP workers came to blows.