Karnataka elections: Peaceful voting, 65 per cent voter turnout recorded till 5 pm

Bengaluru: Voting for Assembly polls in Karnataka on Wednesday was by and large peaceful with a voter turnout of about 65.69 per cent (as on 5 pm) in 224 Assembly constituencies. In 2013, voter turnout was 70.23 and it was 72.13 in the 2018 election.

Voting began from 7 am and concluded at 6 pm in 58, 545 polling stations across the State and the Election Commission of India in its press release stated no repoll in any of the polling booths of the State. It stated that over 94,000 senior citizens who have crossed 80 years and above and Persons with Disability casted their votes through Home Voting held for the first time in Karnataka.

In the past elections, the voting percent was 50.50 in the 1957 election, it was 59 percent in 1962, 61.57 in 1972 election, 71.90 in 1978, 65.67 in 1983, 67.25 in 1985, 67.57 in 1989 and 68.59 in 1994 election. In the 1999 election, voting percent 67.65, 68 percent in 2004 election, and 64.91 in 2008 election.

One of the pre-poll surveys for 2023 elections in Karnataka stated class divide in the State with more affluent favoured the Bharatiya Janata Party while poor people having inclination towards the Congress party. Another survey indicated a close race and anti-incumbency at the State level affecting the prospects of BJP. JDS too in the race.

President of Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee D.K. Shivakumar hoped that his party would win in about 141 seats while BJP exuded confidence of winning in 150 seats and JDS expected to win in 123 seats.

When voting began, polling booths reported slow voting in the morning hours and by 9 am, voting percent in the State was 8.26, however, voting percentage picked up as the day progressed and at 11 am, poll officials estimated that the voter percent was about 20.99. The voter turnout further improved by 1 when poll officials stated that the voting percent was 37. 25 and the figures went up to 52.18 by 3 pm.

At the 5 pm, estimation of voter percent crossed 70 percent in the Assembly seats of Puttur, Varuna, Bantval, Holenarsipura, Arsikere, Shravanabelagola, Srirangapatna, Melukote, Channapatna, Magadi, Ramanagara, Hosakote, Pavagada, Kunigal, Turuvekere, Kapu, Karkal, Sringeri, Kundapura, Kampli, Molakalmuru and others.  In Assembly seats of Kanakapura it was voting percent of 80.5, in Hoskote it was 83.32 voting percent, Melukote at 84.53 voter turnout, 81.12 in Kunigal seat,.

As many as 2, 415 nominees were in the fray from Bharatiya Janata Party, Congress party, Janata Dal Secular (JDS), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Communist Party of India (Marxists), among others.

91-year-old former Prime Minister and JDS supremo H.D. Devegowda flew from Bengaluru to Holenarispura taluk in Hassan to vote at a polling booth in Paduvalahippe. Devegowda along with his wife Chennamma exercised their rights.

At booth number 157 in Malleshwaram Assembly Constituency in Bengaluru, 84-year-old Nagalakshmi voted, noted personalities which include former cricketer Javagal Srinath voted at a polling in Gnanaganga School in Mysuru city, Jnanpeetha awardee Chandrashekar Kambar, litterateur Baragur Ramachandra, film stars Malashree, Yash and others voted at various booths.

On Wednesday, in Hassan, 49-year-old Jayanna died owing to cardiac arrest after casting vote at a polling booth in Belur taluk while in Hanur assembly seat, a voter identified as Puttaswamy died after he was trampled to death by a wild tusker when he was travelling from Hale Martahalli to Tokere in Male Mahadeshwara Hills, a wildlife sanctuary in Chamarajanagar district. He was on way to vote when the incident occurred.