65 per cent polling has been reported at the close of polling at 6 pm in the Karnataka assembly elections. In 2013 elections it was reported 71.45 per cent. Elections was held for 222 constituencies of the total 224 constituencies.

Elections to Jayanagar seat was countermanded and Rajarajeshwari Nagar was put-off to May 28.

Counting for Karnataka assembly election 2018 will be taken up on May 15.

Highest polling has been witnessed in coastal districts - Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttra Kannada crossing over 80 per cent and Bengaluru rural is at 81 per cent.

But polling has been pathetic in Bengaluru city at 40 per cent. Brisk polling has been witnessed in old Mysore region, central Karnataka has made political analysts sit up and look in to it.

With the polling set to end in a few hours from now, there has been a low turnout of voters in Bengaluru. So far, only 36 per cent of votes have been polled so far in Bengaluru which has 28 seats.

Around 53 per cent voter turnout was reported till 3 pm in the single-phase Karnataka Assembly elections today, poll officials said.

Voting, which began on a moderate note, gathered momentum in the afternoon as the deadline neared, they said.

Congress and BJP workers were locked in minor scuffles at some places, accusing each other of trying to bribe the voters, the officials said.

The election is witnessing a three-cornered contest among the ruling Congress, the BJP and the JDS. According to election observers, the JD(S) is expected to play the role of a kingmaker in the event of a fractured mandate.

During the 2013 Assembly elections, the voter turnout was 71.45 per cent. Polling is being held for 222 out of 224 seats.

Election for the Jayanagara seat in Bengaluru was countermanded following the death of BJP candidate and sitting MLA B N Vijaykumar.

The Election Commission has also deferred the polls for Rajarajeswari Nagar constituency to May 28 after a massive row erupted over a large number of voter ID cards being found in an apartment

In Bengaluru, many eateries were seen offering discounts. But the biggest hit was for free coffee+dosa only after by showing their index with voting mark as having voted as proof.

Despite Election Commission focusing on improving polling percentage in Bengaluru city, it was dull with Bengaluru central, and north recording 29 per cent each till 1 pm. Bengaluru south had recorded 30 per cent and Bengaluru urban 28 per cent.

Election Commission Ambassador and veteran crickter Rahul Dravid was seen voting early and going around with his wife encouraging people to vote.

 

Clashes were reported in Holenarsipura constituency in Hassan district between the supporters of JD(S) candidate and Congress.

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, after voting in his native Siddaramanahundi, told presspersons in Mysuru that he was confident of coming back to power. 

“Desperate attempt by BJP president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to prevent Congress win. Now they have resorted to IT raids in the State. I am not against IT raids but look at the time of raids which worries me.”

About 5.07 crore voters are expected to exercise their franchise in the single phase Karnataka Assembly elections on May 12 (Saturday). The counting will be taken up on May 15 (Tuesday).

Karnataka election is witnessing a triangular fight in most of the 222 constituencies. About 2,600 candidates are in the fray, of which 2,400 are men and around 200 women.

 

One seat (Jayanagar in Bengaluru) was countermanded following the death of a BJP candidate. In the State elections - Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Janata Dal Secular (JDS) are the main contenders.

Election in this southern state has attracted national attention as results are set to be an indicator or barometer for national political trend ahead of 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

It is in this context that the run-up to the elections saw vigorous campaign by the national leaders of all political parties, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP national president Amit Shah, Central Cabinet ministers and chief ministers of BJP-ruled states.

While Congress was led by AICC President Rahul Gandhi, former AICC chief Sonia Gandhi, former prime minister Manmohan Singh, JD(S) on its part was led by former Prime Minister Deve Gowda and his son and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy.

Congress party has gone to the polls with Siddaramaiah as its leader, while BJP has projected B S Yedurappa as its choice for Chief ministership. 

State BJP chief and party’s chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa, and Pradesh Congress Committee chief G Parameshwara were among the first to cast their votes at Shikaripura in Shivamogga and Yaggere in Tumakuru, respectively.

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda along with wife Chennamma cast their votes at Paduvalahippe in Hassan district.

The seer of a prominent Lingayat seminary Siddhaganga Mutt, Sri Shivakumara Swamiji, said to be 111-years-old, also cast his vote at a booth near the mutt premises.

Cricketer Rahul Dravid, the state election icon, another cricketer Anil Kumble, film actors Ramesh Arvind, Ravichandran and scion of Mysuru royal family Yaduveer Krishnadatta Chamaraja Wadiyar were among the early voters.

 

Technical glitches in electronic voting machines (EVMs) delayed polling at several places in Bengaluru.

 

A bride in Madikeri cast her vote in wedding attire before attending the marriage ceremony. At some places, “Thank You” cards were given to voters for exercising their franchise.

In one of the most bitter electoral battles the State has ever seen, the ruling Congress and the BJP went all out to woo voters during their acrimonious campaign that saw the top leaders of both parties criss-crossing the State.

Officials said 58,008 polling stations have been set up across the State, of which 12,002 have been designated as “critical”, with over 3,50,000 polling personnel on duty.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements for the smooth conduct of polls that will go on till 6 pm.

“82,157 people have been deployed for poll duty that includes DSPs, home guards and civil defence, and forest guards and watchers,” Karnataka DGP Neelamani N Raju said.

People deployed for polling duty also includes about 7,500 personnel from states like Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Chattisgarh, Kerala and Goa, she said, adding, central forces have been deployed.

(With inputs from PTI)

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