72% and counting: K'taka votes big this time but some segments disappoint

Shyam Sundar Vattam | NT

Bengaluru: The single-phase election to the Karnataka State Legislative Assembly on Wednesday saw a turnout of around 72 per cent of voters, in a process that was "largely peaceful" though the exact figures are awaited.

In the last Assembly polls held in 2018, 72.36 per cent of the electorate cast their ballot. As usual, the voting percentage in Bengaluru City remained low hovering around 50 per cent in some of the 28 constituencies. But voting was brisk in other constituencies with people standing in serpentine queues in front of polling stations to exercise their franchise.

This time, a total of 5.31 crore electors were eligible to cast their vote at 58,545 polling stations across the state where 2,615 candidates are in the fray, with the contest being a threecornered one between the ruling BJP, the Congress and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda's Janata Dal (Secular). At the end of voting, the Election Commission said, "Largely peaceful voting in all 224 Assembly constituencies in Karnataka, and no repoll indicated in any of the 58,545 polling stations."

Prominent among those who voted today include former PM Deve Gowda, Union Finance Minister Nir mala Sitharaman, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and CM Basavaraj Bommai. Others include former CMs Yediyurappa,Sadananda Gowda,Siddaramaiah and Jagadish Shettar.