60% turnout in Karnataka polls

Of the 224 assembly segments in the state, 66 will go to polls in the second phase on May 16 and the remaining 69 in the third phase on May 22. Police resorted to lathicharge to disperse a group of persons who apparently were trying to cast bogus votes at Chickpet. In several areas, voters protested deletion of their names. A 58,000-strong security personnel kept a close watch on the polling which passed off peacefully, official sources said.

The poll prospects of 953 candidates including former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, his brother H D Revanna, union minister Ambarish, former ministers Katta Subramanya Naidu, G T Devegowda, R Ashok, G Parameshwara, former Deputy Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, N Cheluvarayaswamy, actor Jaggesh and D K Shivakumar were sealed in the EVMs.

The voters' response in Bangalore City, which has 28 assembly segments was about 50 per cent, according to initial reports from electoral authorities. Polling was brisk in Bangalore Rural, Kolar, Hassan, Ramanagar and Chamarajnagar. Technical snags delaying and disurpting poll process for brief spells has been reported from several places. Karnatataka is the first state to go to election under the delimitation of constituencies in the country.