Voting has started in Karnataka for 222 assembly seats as the elections for Jayanagar and RR Nagar have been postponed. The Congress and the BJP are desperately trying to outsmart each other as the main contenders while the JDS led by HD Deve Gowda is expected to emerge as the king maker.
The Election Commission on Friday had postponed the election in Bengaluru’s RR Nagar seat following the recovery of around 10,000 fake voter IDs. The Congress had termed the development unfortunate.
The BJP has claimed to form the government on 17 May, two days after the counting is likely to be held. Speaking to reporters just before the polling on Saturday, the saffron party’s chief ministerial candidate, BS Yeddyurappa, said that his party will win 140 seats on 15 May and he will take oath as the state’s new CM on 17 May.
The Congress had won 122 seats in 2013 assembly elections. The BJP and the JDS had won 40 seats each.
Siddaramaiah, the incumbent chief minister, enjoys considerably high approval raising among the voters including those who said they will vote the BJP.
Both the BJP and the Congress had carried out high octane campaign while trading charges. While the BJP accused Siddaramaiah of misgovernance, the Congress highlighted the corrupt background of the BJP’s CM face. The party also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the BJP gave tickets to eight members of the Reddy brothers.
Here are the live updates:-
- Polling booth No.s 142, 143 & 144 in Badami’s Tippu Nagar were closed at 6:00 pm. – ANI
- 61.25% voter turnout recorded till 5 pm. – ANI
- Rain lashed parts of Hubli affecting voting. – ANI
- 56% voter turnout recorded till 3 pm. – ANI
- Chief Minister Siddaramaiah casts his vote. He is contesting from Chamundeshwari and Badami constituencies. – ANI
- 37% voter turnout recorded till 1 pm. – PM
- Clashes broke out between Congress & BJP workers within 100 meters of a polling booth in Hampi Nagar.
- We are very-very confident that Congress party will come back to power with complete majority: CM Siddaramaiah in Mysuru’s Varuna
- Congress raises questions on PM Modi’s Nepal visit, says trip is intended to influence Karnataka elections
- 24% voter turnout recorded till 11 am. – ANI
- 11 per cent polling in first two hours. – PTI
- 10.6% voting till 9 am in Karnataka elections. – ANI
- Former Prime Minister H. D. Deve Gowda casts his vote at polling booth no.244 in Holenarasipura town in Hassan district
- Faulty Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machine at booth number 108 in Hubli being replaced, voting is yet to resume at the booth. – ANI
- Voting underway for Karnataka assembly elections
