23 arrested after manhandling election official, ballot unit damaged in Karnataka village

Villagers from Masabinala in Vijayapura district on Wednesday stopped an election duty vehicle carrying Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), manhandled an official and damaged the control and ballot units, the Election Commission said. People were arrested.

The Election Commission said in a statement that the villagers stopped the vehicle of a section officer carrying EVMs reserved for the assembly elections and damaged two control and ballot units and three VVPATs (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail). “The sector officer was assaulted. 23 people have been arrested.

According to police sources, the villagers’ “action” followed “rumours” that officials were “changing” EVMs and VVPATs.

Meanwhile, some youths armed with sticks attacked their political rivals at a polling booth in Papaya Garden in Padmanabhanagar assembly constituency here. Sources said they turned violent, in which some women queuing up to vote suffered injuries.

In another incident, some Congress and BJP workers clashed with each other at Sanjeevarayankote in Ballari district.

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(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed)