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Karnataka Polls: 70 % voting is so far, says EC
70 percent voting was recorded in polling for Karnataka Assembly Elections on Saturday, says the Election Commission.
Bengaluru: 70 percent voting was recorded in polling for Karnataka Assembly Elections on Saturday, says Election Commission
The polling, which begun at 58,546 polling stations, each equipped with Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verified Paper Audit Trails (VVPATs).
The election in two constituencies, Jayanagar and R.R. Nagar, has been postponed.
In Jayanagar, the polling has been deferred due to the death of a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, B N Vijay Kumar, while in R.R. Nagar, it has been postponed due to fake voter-ID row.
The election in Karnataka is considered crucial for the Congress Party, as it would be looking to prevent the BJP juggernaut from expanding its footprints in the south.
Since the 2014 general election, the Congress has been defeated by the BJP in over a dozen states, drastically shrinking its political footprint.
The BJP is making an all-out bid to oust the Siddaramaiah government in Karnataka and is looking to come back to power in the state with B.S. Yeddyurappa, its chief ministerial candidate. Interestingly, no incumbent government has been re-elected in Karnataka since 1985.
The Janata Dal (Secular) is looking to establish itself once again in Karnataka politics and is expected to give a tough fight to both the BJP and the Congress.
A total of 2,654 candidates are in the fray and 4.96-crore electorate, including 2.44 crore women, has casted their votes. Over 15 lakh people were first-time voters in the 18-19 age group.
Tight security was placed to ensure smooth and peaceful polling in the 222 constituencies spread across 30 districts, out of 224 of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly.
The counting of votes and announcement of results will take place on May 15. (ANI)